Only Spiders For Company
by Booksnake3
Summary: As the Elves take them prisoner, one dwarf is left behind. Alone in the forest, lost and suffering from a spider bite, Kili has to find his way out, but dark things lurk in Mirkwood and without his brother, Kili finds himself in no little danger...
1. Chapter 1

_This came out of two prompts from Neocolai. Thank you, you are all my inspiration._

**_I am writing this as I re-read and edit this whole fic, so if you are reading this then you have probably stumbled across it by some miracle fluke. Welcome! If you decide you want to read this to the end, then I might mention that my writing improves a bit as I go along, mainly due to the extensive practice I got. All reviews, even though I'm not updating any more, are very appreciated! I hope you enjoy :)_**

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><p>"Filiii"<p>

His scream echoed inside his own head but was drowned out in the commotion of battle. Then, all of a sudden the noise stopped and a melodic Elven voice rang round the forest clearing.

"Do not think I won't hesitate to kill you, Dwarf,"

"Fil-"

Kili's scream was cut short as the spider put one of its massive, hairy legs in the middle of his back and started grinding him into the ground, effectively winding him so that he could shout no more. Then the foul beast adjusted it's crushing bite on his foot and started dragging him again, faster, into the deep dark depths of Mirkwood.

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><p>Fili didn't know whether to be relieved or scared. They had just escaped giant spiders, but were now surrounded by not the friendliest looking of Elves. Out of habit, he looked around for his brother Kili, to see how he was dealing with this situation. Though he was the older, calmer, level headed one of them, the respect Fili held for his brother could only be matched by what his brother felt for him, and the pair were usually inseparable, even going so far as to sleep back-to-back under the same cloak for warmth. All the other dwarves had learned to accept this as normal for the brothers.<p>

The longer he scanned the group, the more Fili's heart leapt up into his mouth with every beat. His eyes kept resting on his uncle Thorin, who had the same dark hair as Kili, but eventually he had to accept it. His brother wasn't with them.

As the Elves closed in, Fili moved towards his uncle and grabbed his arm.

"Uncle, where's Kili?" he asked urgently.

Thorin looked round, alarmed. "He's not with us?" Fili shook his head. A muttering went round the group, and the tension seemed to shoot up, but the Elves took no notice, rounding up the dwarves like scared sheep and forcing them to march single file through the forest.

Fili resisted, calling out Kili's name until his voice was hoarse. The elves pushed him back with arrows notched tightly into their bows, ready to shoot without mercy, but still he fought, and only after an arrow whizzed so close that it clipped his ear did he stop, sobbing and falling to his knees, head in hands.

"You there," an elf shoved round the dwarf at the end of the line roughly, "get this one to move,"

A familiar face swam into view through his veil of tears. Uncle Thorin looked down at Fili with a mixture of concern and disapproval. Fili felt ashamed, crying in front of their enemies. He was meant to be the strong one, the brave one, the one who kept his head in any situation. Kili might be expected to break down like this, but certainly not Fili, heir to the throne of Erebor.

"Get up Fili," said his Uncle sternly, hauling him to his feet, "what has got into you?"

"Uncle, we can't leave Kili out here," whimpered Fili, grasping onto the front of Thorin's cloak and sobbing between syllables, "he's lost and there are spiders and he needs us!"

Thorin nodded in understanding but inside he felt completely helpless. He could see why Fili was upset but that didn't excuse him for losing his head, nor did it explain why the young dwarf, who could usually be relied on to keep a cool facade in the face of danger, was reacting so badly. Fili must be calmed down if Thorin wasn't to show himself up in front of his enemies. Then Thorin could worry about his lost nephew.

"Fili, your brother has sense, he'll find a way out. He's probably in less of a mess than we are now," he consoled the bleary eyed dwarf, "you've just had a bit of a shock, we all have. Now you'd better find some dignity before we reach the Elves' place, or I will not be sympathetic, Kili or no Kili,"

Fili swallowed hard and nodded in defeat. As if to reinforce his uncle's point, both dwarves promptly received a sharp dig in the back from the tip of an elvish arrow, wielded by a particularly haughty looking elf with long blond hair. It was always hard with elves to discern gender, but if Fili had been asked he would have probably guessed male.

"Move along, prisoners. Less of the talking, more of the moving,"

The elf received Fili's most ferocious scowl, but simply laughed. _Heartless beings_, thought Fili, _they look so pretty on the outside, but inside there's nothing but selfishness and greed._

Hanging his head in submission, Fili shuffled forward after his uncle. Thorin was right, he had lost his head in that moment of panic, and it wasn't like him. He had to get himself back to normal, then maybe he'd be able to think straight and find a way to escape and find his brother. The thoughts swam around in his head like soup though, and he couldn't seem make much sense of them.

He barely noticed entering the Elven fortress, nor gave any sign that he cared as his twin swords were stripped from him and thrown carelessly onto the heap of weapons that was piling up as the dwarves were searched. He gave no resistance as he was thrown into a dingy cell, but merely lay on the floor and wished for oblivion.

If only he had watched over Kili better in the battle with the spiders. They usually fought as a pair in battle, despite their contrasting weapons. How had they managed to get separated? How had it led to this? Maybe it would have been better if Kili had not come on this quest at all. He was the youngest of the company, and it had taken quite some persuading to get their mother, Dís, to agree to any of them going. Gloin had certainly not let his son, Gimli, have any choice in the matter. But the princes of Erebor were among the most stubborn of dwarves and eventually Dís had given in, on the condition that they both return whole and unharmed. She had also given Fili express instruction to protect his younger brother, whatever happened. Fili had failed.

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><p>Half unconscious and wrapped in a spider's web, Kili groaned. He had a killer headache and there was a throbbing pain in his right foot - the one which the spider had dragged him by. He opened his eyes, then immediately closed them again and waited for his head to stop spinning. The second time he tried, he opened them slowly, a crack at a time, until he was completely awake and staring straight up into the eight grotesque eyes of a giant spider.<p>

He sighed. He was too weak to fight, not to mention tied in sticky spider silk and hung half way up a tree. But the spider was lowering it's mouth parts, ready to give the deadly bite that would mean the end of him, so Kili reckoned he had nothing to lose.

Giving a sharp twist, he tore a gash right down the side of his silk casing and rolled out. Finally able to see how high up he was, he shot out an arm and grabbed a branch to stop himself plummeting to certain death. The spider was advancing menacingly but Kili decided it would be best to kill it rather than run away. The spiders knew these woods better than he did and they were swifter in the trees than he would be on the ground.

Still hanging by one arm from the tree branch, he grabbed an arrow from his quiver with his free hand and started to swing as much as he dared, so that he could reach the softer underbelly of the spider. To his luck, the spider moved directly over him and was about to inject its poison into the hand that clung white knuckled to the old gnarled branch when Kili struck. With all the energy he could muster, he drove the arrow in his hand deep into the abdomen of the beast, causing it to squeal in agony and lose its balance. As it toppled backwards off the branch, Kili yanked his gory arrow from the spider and breathed a sigh of relief.

The spider hit the forest floor with a sickening crunch and curled up into a ball, dead.

The descent from the tree took longer than Kili had anticipated, mainly due to the fact that the branches were widely spaced and he kept getting stuck on strands of spiderweb. When he judged that he was close enough to the ground, he jumped, but it was further than he expected and he landed rather painfully next to the unfortunate spider that had got him into this mess.

Picking himself up, he removed his trusty bow from his shoulder and wiped the arrow that was covered in spider entrails on a clump of moss before setting it to his bow and taking a step forward.

A twinge of pain in his foot told him that all was not well. Suddenly, Kili remembered that the spider had dragged him away with its mouth. What if it had bitten through his boot? Trying not to panic, Kili sat down, dumping his bow and arrow in his haste and pulled off his right boot to examine his foot.

It was only slightly swollen, but the swelling originated from a shallow scratch down the outside of Kili's foot. A scratch! Kili picked up his boot and sure enough, there was a thin tear down the side of it, matching the red mark down his right foot. Turning back to the scratch, he noticed with a twinge of foreboding the green lines extending from it. Poison.

Only a tiny bit, mind you. If the spider had bitten him outright, he guessed he would have been completely unconscious by now. No, it was only a drop of poison. Kili could only hope it wouldn't kill him, but as to what other consequences it might have, he couldn't guess.

For the first time, he realised how totally alone he really was. There was not a living beast in sight, but a faint chatter overhead told him that there were more spiders. By Aulë, how many did they have to kill and still have more coming! Knowing that he would be better off away from this forsaken nest of webs, Kili pulled his boot on as silently as he could, only letting off the occasional gasp as his foot twinged again. Then he picked up his bow and arrow and set off, stubbornly ignoring his foot. If the poison did take effect, it would certainly be best to get as far away from the spiders as possible before it had time to spread throughout his body. Not for the first (or last) time, he wished his brother Fili was beside him.

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><p><em>Thanks for reading, and please do review, this is my first ever fic and I would love to hear what you think!<em>


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for all the reviews, they make me so happy! Some of you also correctly guessed where this story is going to go next, so well done!_

_And before you ask, I have no idea whatsoever what effect spider poison has on the body, but I figured that since these are fictional spiders their poison could have completely made up effects. So if anyone does happen to know what spider poison does, feel free to let me know, I would be very interested to find out._

_I also forgot to put a disclaimer in with the previous chapter so here it is:_

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Hobbit._

_Now enough waffle, on with the story!_

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><p>Tauriel knew very well the rule of no talking to the prisoners. She also knew that most dwarves were hardened warriors who most certainly did not cry like a baby when they were taken captive. If a dwarf was crying, something was very badly wrong, and that is why she had no regrets as she made her way silently towards the cells where the prisoners were kept.<p>

In all the cells but one, a dwarf was sitting stone faced and defiant. Once she had passed all of those cells, she reached the anomaly and stopped. The dwarf - the youngest of the company, she guessed - was still lying on the floor where the guard had thrown him. She rapped gently on the bars.

"Dwarf," she whispered softly, and the blond dwarf lifted his head to see who called. When she saw his face, Tauriel wanted to go in and hold him like a baby and tell him everything was alright. She could never bear to see someone this devastated.

Seeing his visitor, Fili hastily got to his feet and wiped his face clumsily with his sleeve. Then he scowled through puffy eyes and Tauriel noticed a scratch just above his left eyebrow that was nothing more than a faint red line.

"What do you want?"

"What is your name, young dwarf?"

"Fili," the scowl deepened.

"Let me see that scratch, Fili,"

"What scratch?"

Tauriel beckoned for him to come closer and he begrudgingly did so. She put her hands through the bars to touch the thin red line but the dwarf - Fili - flinched away.

"I won't hurt you," she reassured him, "just let me see that scratch."

To her relief, Fili complied and she was able to get a better look at his brow. On closer inspection, there were faint green tendrils snaking out from it: spider poison. Tauriel knew the signs well. She had experienced many instances of spider bites, healed many herself, even been bitten herself several times. It was a hazard that went hand in hand with the forest nowadays. She kept several leaves of the plant that worked as the antidote in a small bag that she took out whenever she ventured into Mirkwood, but that was not with her right now.

"I need to fetch something, I will be right back," she told Fili, who was looking exceedingly confused and still upset although his eyes were a little less red than they had been.

She was back in less than two minutes with a small cloth pouch in her hand. Picking out a single leaf, Tauriel reached through the bars once more to where Fili was stood opposite her and pressed it to the scratch on his forehead. The green lines drew back as if they were being sucked out (which, in a way, they were) and Tauriel removed the leaf and took a step back. The leaf had removed the poison, but as always, she knew there were two parts to this story.

Fili had obviously suffered the mental effects of the spider poison, as the poison didn't have far to travel from the scratch to his brain. It could bring on depression, despair, and sometimes (but rarely, mind you) it had worse results such as memory loss or loss of limb control, but Tauriel had seen many elves get injuries like this and none of them had reacted quite so violently. Of course, it might just be a dwarf thing, but Tauriel suspected otherwise. She suspected there was something that would have caused despair in this dwarf anyway, without the spider poison, and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

"Why are you upset, Fili? You are safe from the spiders,"

A grunt in response, as Fili sat down on the little stone shelf along the side of his cell. Tauriel decided to wait for a reply rather than push further, and it came sooner than she had expected.

"Kili isn't,"

"Kili?"

"My brother,"

Tauriel frowned. She had made sure to count all the dwarves when they first surrounded them, then again when they passed through the gate into her home. Twelve, each time.

"You brother is not here, then?" She asked, biting her lip.

"No."

This conversation wasn't going to get anywhere useful with the dwarf - Fili - answering in monosyllables. She tried a different approach.

"Fili, I am Tauriel, the head of border guard here in Mirkwood. I can enter and leave as I please, and maybe I can help you,"

Fili lifted his head, and for the first time, Tauriel saw hope in his eyes.

"You would go and find him?" he asked, eyes wide with disbelief at being offered help by an Elf.

She had been planning on merely checking the clearing to make sure there was no sign of Fili's brother, but suddenly she felt like that would be a betrayal. If she was going to go at all, she must find Kili and bring him back, or else say no now and have nothing more to do with it. She was the head of border guard, and if anything foul came within the borders of the elf kingdom while she was gone, she would have to be responsible and carry the full blame, and probably the full punishment too.

She glanced at Fili again. The hope was wavering in his eyes even as she paused to contemplate. She had no idea how long she would be out for, but it would be worth it, she decided, just to see Fili reunited with his brother again.

"Yes," replied Tauriel, her lips curving into a half-smile at the look on Fili's face. "I would not leave a job half done, and I would not capture twelve dwarves when a thirteenth is still wandering the woods,"

Fili seemed to spring to life.

"What do you want to know? I last saw him during the battle with the spiders. He's got dark hair, and he's quite tall for a dwarf, and he carries a bow and arrow," Fili said, trying to think of any more information that would lead his unlikely helper to his brother, "oh, and he's prone to getting into trouble" he added with a grimace. "Don't hurt him when you find him, will you?"

Tauriel was shocked at the suggestion that she might hurt someone she was trying to rescue. Then again, she had just locked up twelve dwarves and might soon lock up a thirteenth. That wasn't entirely friendly.

"Of course I won't hurt him," she reassured Fili, and turned to walk away.

"Wait!" she heard a cry from behind her. She turned back to see Fili hanging on the bars of his cell. "Can I come with you?" he asked, a plaintive note in his voice, "please?"

"No," she said firmly. As much as she would appreciate some help in her search, she was sure Thranduil would not appreciate her setting a dwarf free, no matter what excuse she gave. She wasn't quite sure why she was helping Fili anyway. Maybe it was her imagination, but she thought by the way Fili talked about his brother, there was no one in the world he cared about more.

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><p>Kili had been stumbling through the forest for quite a while now, as quietly as his twinging foot would allow. He had no idea where he was, just that he was getting as far away from the spiders as possible. He had also lost track of time because the trees overhead mostly obscured the sun so he couldn't tell what part of the day it was, and there was a sinking feeling in his stomach that he would never get out of this place. He was thirsty, and his water skin was bone dry. He knew he needed to find the river. Then he could follow it until he reached civilisation. That was the plan.<p>

To carry out that plan, he would have to climb a tree.

Kili wasn't averse to trees, in fact he enjoyed them; their cracks and crevices, the wind that whistled among their branches, their wild freedom. He had always liked climbing them, back home in the blue mountains. True, many a time he had got stuck and Fili had had to come and fetch him down. But they had always been a home to him, much more than the cold, echoing caves of the mountains ever had.

But this was Mirkwood.

And Fili wasn't here to fetch him down.

He swallowed. What would his brother do in such a situation? Of course, he would do what needed to be done. He would know what to do, then do it, then succeed at it, because he was Fili, and he was brave. Kili needed to be brave like Fili. He needed to keep a level head and get the job done.

Picking a tall tree, Kili squared up to the lowest branch and prepared to jump, since it was too high for him to reach. Bending his knees, he propelled himself upwards with surprising nimbleness for a dwarf. One hand grasped onto the branch, and for the second time that day Kili found himself swinging by one arm from a tree. With no little exertion, the dwarf heaved the rest of himself up onto the branch and sat there, breathing hard. It wasn't usually that difficult to pull himself up onto a branch. Maybe he was just tired. Yes, that must be it. He was tired after escaping twice from spiders and trekking so long through this Aulë forsaken forest. Shaking his head in an attempt to clear it, Kili got to his feet on the branch and prepared to ascend the next one.

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><p>After his talk with Tauriel, Fili was feeling a lot more like himself. He could not see any of the other dwarves so he did not engage them in conversation, but sat on the little ledge in his cell, humming a little tune to himself distractedly. He did not doubt that he had stumbled across the best person to go and look for Kili, but he could not help but resent the fact that he could not accompany her. While the elf knew the forest like the back of her hand, Fili knew his brother and could imagine what thoughts might have been going through his head at each step of his journey. And what if Kili was unconscious? Undoubtably, Tauriel was strong, but strong enough to carry a fully grown dwarf (even if Kili was rather skinny) all the way back to the fortress? What if, after finding Kili, Tauriel got attacked by spiders and could not defend both of them? Would Kili be in a fit state to use his bow?<p>

As his thoughts turned darker and darker, Fili stopped humming. Kili hadn't been with them when they had been captured by the Elves, that couldn't have been by choice. Fili knew Kili would rather be captured and with his brother than free but in a dark, dangerous forest all alone. Kili was always stronger, braver, when Fili was around. If he was captured by spiders, would he be strong enough to fight them without Fili at his side? There was a reason they always fought together, and that was because each of them made the other stronger. It was a bond that should never have been broken.

All of a sudden, a blond elf - the one who had poked him with the arrow, Fili realised - stumbled into view right in front of the bars of Fili's cell. Fili scowled for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

"You, dwarf, was Tauriel talking to you just now?" he asked frantically.

"Why is it your business?" asked Fili rudely. The blond elf ignored that comment.

"Did she tell you where she was going? She just left, completely alone, no guards or anything,"

"No," lied Fili. If Tauriel was out looking for his brother, he didn't want this elf going and stopping her.

The blond elf gave a pained expression then ran along the walkway and out of Fili's sight. A minute or two later, he saw him crossing a higher walkway at a sprint. A sinking feeling in his stomach told Fili that his attempt to stop the Elf hadn't worked, and Tauriel had a pursuer.

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><p><em>Please review! :)<em>


	3. Chapter 3

_Here is the next chapter for you all! I didn't have as much time to write as I thought I would have over the last few days, but luckily I have a lot of this written in advance, so I will try and keep to the regualar updates because seriously, I love you all so much and the fact that anyone's reading this at all means the world to me :)_

_Enjoy chapter 3!_

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><p>Tauriel slipped silently through the trees, bow at the ready. She knew these trees; they were her home, but recently they had grown dark with evil things crawling up from the South and she didn't feel safe here like she used to. Once upon a time, Elven children had played in these woods, parents safe in the knowledge that there were no foul things lurking behind trees. She fondly remembered those days of her childhood, centuries ago, and mourned for the security and happiness of days gone by.<p>

To tell the truth, she was a little surprised by the dwarf's description of his brother. Kili must be a highly unusual dwarf, she thought, to use a bow. She had only ever encountered dwarves who wielded swords and axes. Surely such a weapon would be thought of as girlish and weak, in the eyes of tough, bearded, stubborn dwarves? Then again, Fili hadn't seemed like any of the dwarves she had run into before (and those previous encounters had not been for pleasant reasons) so presumably Kili wouldn't be either. Fili was young, so maybe it was an age thing, and the young dwarves would grow up to be tough and stubborn with long bushy beards. The idea made Tauriel a little sad.

Before long, she reached the little clearing where they had first found the Dwarves. Bodies of spiders still littered the forest floor and the air reeked of death. She looked around for any evidence of someone escaping, not eager to spend any more time than was necessary in a place so filled with the stench of recent battle but taking care not to step on any markings on the sandy floor, and she soon found what she was looking for.

Finger marks, five little lines in the sand here and another five there, indicated that fingers had been run along the ground during a struggle. It was a small thing, but it spoke clear as could be. Examining the finger marks a little closer, Tauriel noted that they were quite thin for a dwarf, as that race usually had stubby, stout little fingers. It seemed that Kili wasn't an ordinary dwarf by any means.

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><p>Sunlight streamed across Kili's face for the first time in ages, lighting up his features and warming his skin. The wind blew through his hair and his stubbly little beard, making him forget the nauseous feeling in his stomach, and just for a moment feel free.<p>

But who could enjoy this moment of triumph with him? He was alone, and Fili wasn't coming to find him because Fili was probably right now being tortured by elves. Despair flooded Kili as he stared all around him at the endless sea of treetops. His brother needed him, but where was he? In a tree in a forest of foul things, lost and probably going to be eaten by spiders if he didn't die of thirst first.

His thoughts were suddenly as clear as if he had just been drenched in ice cold water. Fili needed his help. He had to find the elves' home and rescue him.

He could see the river. That was all that mattered right now. He knew which way to go, then he could get something to drink and go and find his Fili again. Because this time, it was Kili who had to be brave.

He had climbed about one third of the way down, when he put his weight on his wrong foot. He had been being careful all the way up not to put his whole weight on it, since the swelling hadn't stopped and the green lines were now visible above his boot. It was more painful than he anticipated, and now the pain shot right up his leg, causing him to gasp and cling onto the branch above him with both hands. Gradually, the pain subsided and he was able to go on, putting his weight on his other leg this time, but his right leg still didn't stop aching ever so slightly whenever he moved it.

It seemed like forever before he could even see the ground below him, let alone be low enough to jump. Kili had learned from his previous mistake, however, so he decided to climb all the way down to the lowest branch before taking a leap. Upon his fall, he rolled over so as not to put any of the impact on his bad leg, but it took three attempts to get up, not because of his injury but because every time he tried to stand up too fast his head swam and his stomach churned and he felt like he was going to be sick.

Eventually, by stubbornly ignoring the acrobatics of his innards and taking it slow, he was on his feet and knew which way to go. Finding a long stick to walk with, he set off in the direction he thought he remembered the river was. Of course, when climbing down the tree his sense of direction might have changed a little, but on the whole a whim was better than pointless wandering.

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><p>Bilbo had been observing the Elves closely ever since he slipped through the gates after Fili. Kili's disappearance hadn't gone unnoticed by him, but he still wasn't quite brave enough to venture out into Mirkwood alone in a search of one dwarf, when it seemed there were twelve who were just as much in need of his help right here. Not to mention, he had no desire to meet any more giant spiders.<p>

Now, finally, he had managed to steal the keys to all the dwarves' prison cells and he was ready to set them free. He had the escape route all planned out as well - they would hide in the empty wine barrels that were floated down the river. He didn't know where they went, only that they led away from here, but that was good enough.

He crept with the ring on to the cells of the dwarves, but just before he got there he paused and took the ring off. He still hadn't told the rest of the company about it, and he figured now would not be a good time for lots of questions.

The first cell he got to was Thorin's. The leader saw Bilbo and was about to make an exclamation when Bilbo whispered "Ssshhh! We've got to get out as quickly as possible! I'll just let everyone else out, then follow me!"

As swiftly and silently as possible, Bilbo released the rest of the company, giving each a hurried explanation in an urgent whisper. Finally he got to Fili, who leapt up as soon as he saw Bilbo, then to the Hobbit's bewilderment, sank back a bit in disappointment.

"Sorry, just thought you were...someone else," Fili explained when he saw the look of confusion on Bilbo's face. This didn't help, but Bilbo went on anyway to repeat what he had just said eleven times already. He waited for the reaction, but to his utter amazement Fili sat down and put his head in his hands. Bilbo looked around for a solution, but all that happened was that Thorin appeared in the doorway. He had somehow squeezed past all ten dwarves who stood on the narrow ledge outside to reach his nephew.

"Fili," Thorin said, giving his nephew a little shake, "Fili, what's wrong?"

Fili gave no response but shook his head.

"Fili, we're escaping!" sighed Bilbo, "and once we're out then we can go looking for Kili. Don't you want to find your brother?"

"Yes, yes," said Fili quickly, lifting his head with a torn expression "but..." He paused, wondering how best to phrase it in front of his uncle. He knew Thorin wouldn't approve of taking help from Elves. "But there's already someone looking for him."

"Ah," replied Bilbo, understanding immediately. If they waited for Kili to be found by the Elves, they were wasting time. Durin's day was approaching rapidly and if they were even a minute too late their whole journey would be for nothing. But if they went, they would then have to go back into the forest in search of Kili, who might even be found by now, so they would waste even more time, then have to rescue Kili from the elves, who would have doubled security and would not be feeling amicable towards dwarves. Weighing it all up in his mind, the Hobbit sighed. They would not go on without Kili, he was sure of that.

"Do you mean to tell me," Thorin found his voice at last, "that you have sent one of _their kind _in search of Kili?"

Fili nodded, keeping his eyes focused downwards.

"Is it a friendly Elf looking for him?" Bilbo asked hopefully, in an attempt to break the tension.

"It's the head of border guard," replied Fili in a small voice, feeling his uncle's eyes bearing down on him like lead, "but she's friendly. She wanted to help."

"A friendly elf?" exclaimed Thorin with a suspicious glare, not quite as quietly as Bilbo would have liked.

"Yes," said Fili in an even smaller voice, "but there's another who's looking for her,"

"And are they...um...going to help her look for Kili?" asked Bilbo, already guessing the answer and feeling his heart sink to his shoes. So much for his rescue plan.

"No."

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><p><em>Please review, I want to know who you want to see more of in the future! :)<em>


	4. Chapter 4

_So here is chapter 4! It's the longest chapter so far, so please let me know what you think and whether chapters should stay this long or be shorter or become longer. It shouldn't affect how often I update though, until my updating catches up with my writing, which might not be for a while (and hopefully never!) but you don't want to read long author's notes, you want to read the next chapter, so I'll shut up now :)_

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><p>Tauriel had followed the path the spider had left in its wake to the tree under which it lay curled and lifeless. She knew this place - it wasn't too far from the elven path - and it saddened her to see it so ridden with evil.<p>

Suddenly her sharp ears caught a sound - a voice - coming from the direction of the path, and the language made her blood chill. Orcs. She hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. She knew she should spy on them and find out if they were coming towards her home, but then what about the dwarf? She couldn't abandon her search altogether. Deciding it would be best to assess the enemy before either continuing her pursuit of Kili or going home to warn Thranduil, Tauriel moved towards the source of the noise.

Without a sound, she slipped into the shadows of the trees, bow at the ready in case any orcs came at her without warning. In the best case scenario, the orcs would be few enough for her to take out single-handedly then go on with her search.

As soon as she was close enough to see the orcs through the branches, however, she knew it would be futile. There seemed to be hundreds of them, all marching down the elven path towards the elven fortress. She had never known orcs could move so quietly - she hadn't heard their footsteps until she was nearly close enough to see them. Perhaps the soft turf muffled them a bit, but still, the guards outside the gates might not hear them until it was too late. She could not let that happen for the sake of one dwarf.

Slipping silently away once more, she moved through the forest on feather-light toes. She knew she was doing the right thing, but she couldn't help thinking that she was breaking a promise, even though she had never said anything of the sort to Fili. Without thinking, she was retracing her steps towards the clearing, knowing instinctively that it was the quickest route where she had no risk of going too near the path, getting lost or meeting giant spiders. As she rounded a tree, however, she saw that someone was already in the clearing. He turned suddenly to face her, bow aimed ready to shoot. When he saw her, though, he lowered his weapon with an expression of relief.

"Legolas!" Tauriel gasped, panting, her brain working fast.

"Tauriel, there you are! I was worried about you, I saw you go out, so I came looking for you," Legolas said, moving towards the female elf so they could talk better, "you have disobeyed my fathers orders. No one goes into Mirkwood alone. You do realise there will be conse-"

"Legolas, there are orcs," said Tauriel, cutting the Prince off and getting to the point, "hundreds of them, coming this way. Go back and warn your father. There is something I must do,"

"I can't let you go off on your own," replied Legolas firmly, "Mirkwood is too dangerous now, especially if what you say is true, and you are directly disobeying me,"

"I've lived here all my life, I know how dangerous Mirkwood is," Tauriel retorted, "and I also know how to keep out of trouble. Don't worry about me, the orcs are distracting all the wild creatures so I'll be safer than you think. Go quickly, we have little time,"

With that, she gave Legolas a shove and disappeared back the way she came. Legolas stood in a daze for a moment, astounded at the nerve he had been shown, then sprung to life and sped off to warn his kin.

* * *

><p>Kili sunk back against a tree, breathing heavily. Having lost track of time completely, he had no idea how long he had been walking, but after climbing the tree he knew he had been getting steadily worse. His head felt like it was being repeatedly shot by arrows and he couldn't move his right leg at all. His stomach churned over and over, like he was being rolled down a hill in a barrel at high speed. How could a little scratch cause this much pain?<p>

He knew he had to go on. He knew he had to reach the river or he would die of thirst. His lips were cracked and his throat was dry, so every time he retched he felt daggers all down his neck and he longed for Fili to be here, to hold him, to tell him everything would be alright. Sometimes his head spun and he thought he saw his brother, but as soon as his vision cleared there would be no one there.

Retching once again, he saw stars and thought his head was going to explode, but he managed to stand up, leaning heavily on his stick like an old man, and kept walking in the same old direction. Of course, his head spun so much he couldn't tell whether it was the same direction any more. All he knew was that standing still wasn't going to help. Fili wasn't coming to rescue him. He had to be strong instead. That was the mantra that kept him going.

Not long after, there seemed to be movement faintly visible through the trees, although it could just have been his head spinning again. Everything looked blurry now, and Up and Down kept switching places without letting Kili know which way they were going to go next.

But then Kili heard the distinctive sound - his ears seemed the only part of him that wasn't playing up, although the headache didn't help - of voices. Could it be someone looking for him? No, it couldn't be. Everyone who might come searching for him had been captured by elves. Fili wouldn't forget him, though, would he? Fili was resourceful and intelligent and brave, Kili knew he would find a way to escape and come looking for him at some point, but that would take time, which Kili didn't have.

Then again, how long had it been? Kili had no idea. Could his brother be looking for him right now? The thought spurred Kili on and he limped with more purpose through the undergrowth, which threatened to send him sprawling with every step but he somehow managed to battle through nonetheless. The voices were closer now, but suddenly Kili stopped in his tracks, swaying slightly. His brain was struggling to form thoughts, but one word seemed to float to the surface.

Orkish.

Suddenly he was scared of the voices; he wanted to get away but was paralysed with fright. He did not want them to come near him, and he knew he hadn't a chance of surviving a fight if there was one. More likely, the orcs would see him as a toy, a plaything, to toss around and torture until he died a slow and painful death. He just hoped the poison would kill him before then.

Knowing he needed to hide, but unable to move except to shiver from the inexplicable cold that now swept through him, he tried to make himself smaller, to blend into the shadows surrounding each tree trunk, so the orcs might pass by without seeing him. Then, all at once, they came.

Orc after orc marched past, along the Elven path that Kili hadn't even realised was there until now. The noise of their footsteps pounded in Kili's ears, like a destiny that could not be avoided, and he found himself shrinking down against a tree trunk with his hands over his ears, only just managing not to cry out as his right leg gave a scream of protest and holding back sobs as it hit him again and again that his brother was not there, he could not comfort him, he couldn't even know where Kili was and what was happening to him. Kili couldn't be strong without Fili. He could not go on. He was going to die alone in Mirkwood and no one would know about it and no one would care.

* * *

><p>Fili was listening intently for any sound of someone entering the Elven fortress. He might have just sabotaged their whole mission, and he knew he was far from his uncle's good books right now, so he didn't want it to be for nothing.<p>

He was locked, once more, in his cell. Except that it wasn't locked. Bilbo of all people had managed to bring Thorin round to the opinion that it would in fact be the best course of action to stay in Mirkwood for a bit longer, until Kili was found, and had told them with clear authority to get back into their individual cells. He was about to lock them back in, when an elf had appeared round a corner, so the hobbit had vanished. Just like that. But he had left them all free.

There was one advantage, Fili realised, of being on the end of the row of cells, and that was the fact that, if he so desired, he could slip out without any of the other dwarves knowing about it or trying to stop him. He knew it was possibly the most foolish thing possible. But he couldn't stand just sitting around doing nothing while his brother could by dying in the forest. If Kili was brought back, he had to know about it immediately, but if Tauriel, on the other hand, returned without his brother, he would personally make sure she got a taste of his fist, female or not.

Lifting it slightly so it would not creak, Fili opened his barred gate and slipped outside. The ledge was narrow so he had to take care not to send bits of rock showering over the edge - that could easily give him away. Taking another look round to make sure there were no elves in sight, he crept as silently as possible (for a dwarf) around the corner and away from his cell. He had made sure to shut the gate again so from a distance his cell would look inhabited. Now he just had to find the way to the front gate.

That, it turned out, was trickier than Fili had first thought. Although he could clearly see the way out from several of the vantage points he reached, it was never clear which walkway lead to the next, and several times he found himself further away from the gate than he had been before. On top of that, there was the task of avoiding Elves. Never quite knowing where he was going to end up, it was tricky to plan a route that involved clear walkways and cover from prying eyes. In the end, he avoided recapture several times by ducking into crevices, and once by throwing a rock so it bounced behind the offending Elf, making a noise which caused the Elf to turn and giving Fili a split second to dash to safety.

After a while, Fili noticed that he was now on the much higher levels and he had to look straight ahead when he walked to stop himself feeling dizzy. Heights may be alright for his younger brother, who had always taken to the trees without a second thought, but for Fili, the one who had to fetch reckless little Kili down many times, heights spelt out the likelihood of falling to one's doom.

He froze, just about to cross one last walkway to the entrance 'hall' which would mean his freedom. Someone had just burst through the giant double doors and was sprinting up towards the circle where, to Fili's shock, stood Thranduil himself. The dwarf hadn't noticed the Elven King, and if Fili had crossed that walkway at that moment, there would have been very dire consequences both for him and for the rest of the company.

Recognising the Elf as the blond who had gone out looking for Tauriel, Fili strained his ears to try and listen in on what he was saying, but it was no use. He had to get closer. He gave one last look around to check he was unobserved, then sprinted silently with his head down across the bridge to hide behind one of the pillars around the circular area. For a moment he was sure the blond had seen him, but to his relief the elf made no comment and seemed to be oblivious.

"And do you have proof? Did you see for yourself?" Thranduil was saying.

"No father, just what Tauriel said, but I would trust her with my life,"

Father? Something clicked in Fili's mind and he realised with a jolt that the blond elf he had grown to loathe was none other than the Prince of Mirkwood!

"No doubt you would," came Thranduil's voice again.

"And what's that supposed to mean, Father?" Thranduil's son said, irritation in his tone.

"It means, Legolas, that your actions towards a certain elf maiden have not gone unnoticed. Let me tell you now, I will never allow it. If you decide at any time that you want to marry, you must let me know first and I will arrange a suitable pairing. Is that understood?"

"Yes father," exclaimed Legolas, and Fili risked a glance round the pillar to see the surprised and slightly disappointed look on the elf's face, before Legolas recomposed himself and spoke again, switching back to the more pressing matter.

"The point is, father, we are at war! There are hundreds of orcs marching straight for us and we must be ready for them or many lives will be lost,"

"Yes, you have already told me, and I have answered. For one, we do not have confirmation that they exist. For two, even if there are orcs, they may be simply passing through, they may not attack. I will not fight outside our own borders, we must stay strong from within. Lastly, my suspicion is that they are looking for the dwarves. If that is the case, we hand them over and no lives are lost,"

"Except for the lives of the dwarves," Legolas spat bitterly, "do not get me wrong, Father, I am not trying to defend the dwarvish scum, but whose side are we really on? I hate dwarves, but I hate orcs more. They are foul and evil and should be wiped off the face of Middle Earth. Is it not our duty to slay as many as possible? They bring fear and death wherever they go, and we could be saving many innocent lives that we do not even know about,"

"That is no concern of mine," retorted Thranduil. "As for which side we are on, we are on no one's side but our own, Legolas, you remember that. This kingdom has held strong for many thousands of years because our ancestors minded their own business. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more pressing matters to attend to,"

Legolas watched his father walk away with a mixture of regret, anger and worry. Then, to Fili's horror, he turned and stared straight at him. Before the dwarf had time to run, he was being hauled out from from his hiding place and lifted completely into the air by the front of his cloak. Legolas's jaw was twitching with determination.

"Do not pretend, Dwarf," he said in a hushed but deadly voice so that his father would not hear, "that you do not know what Tauriel is doing in the forest,"

Fili could only shake his head as his windpipe was slowly constricted.

"I did not think it mattered before - there were more important issues to address," Legolas continued, "but now time is of the essence and I need to know where Tauriel went. You probably just heard that we are being attacked by orcs. I myself am in agreement with my father that it is probably your fault. So if you value your life, tell me the truth,"

On the last word, Legolas let go of Fili's cloak and the dwarf slumped to the ground, gasping for breath. He did not need to be told twice. This could be his means for escaping and finding Kili again.

"She went looking for my brother," Fili gasped, "he wasn't captured with the rest of us, she went to finish the job,"

"And where might your brother be found?" asked Legolas haughtily, looking down his nose at the dwarf on the ground before him. Fili looked up and growled like an animal.

"I don't know do I?" the dwarf gave the Elven Prince his best impression of Thorin's death glare, "otherwise Tauriel would have found him by now,"

"That will be enough, worm," said Legolas, giving Fili a kick in the shins for good measure and bounding out through the open gates. Without a moment's hesitation, Fili was up on his feet and sprinting after him. The two guards on the gate rushed forward to stop him, but as Fili twisted free it occurred to him that Legolas had had the whole conversation with his father in the common tongue, and not their native language of Sindarin. Maybe Legolas wasn't that bad after all.

* * *

><p>Bilbo looked up just in time to see Legolas dash out of the gates, closely followed by none other than Fili. He gave a little shake of his head, marvelling at the recklessness of the Durin family, then went to tell the others.<p>

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><p><em>What did you think of the longer chapter? What do you want to happen next? Please review!<em>


	5. Chapter 5

_Longer chapters it is then! And I know this one's a bit choppy, it was just how my brain was feeling when I was writing it, so I'll apologise in advance. Thank you so much to all you reviewers, you have really inspired me for the next few chapters! For those of you who are desperate for Kili to meet Tauriel, don't worry it will happen soon enough, I think probably next chapter. Actually, definitely next chapter. I promise._

_Kyle: I'm sorry I couldn't respond to your review, but I see what you're saying - it's not fair that the dwarves are the ones who are picked on. I assure you, the elves and dwarves feel the same way about each other (even if the elves are often too high and mighty to admit it outright), but the dwarves always seem to get the worst end of the deal! By the end of this fic hopefully they will be feeling a bit more friendly towards each other - remember Fili and Kili are young so are less hostile than their uncle. But they also won't accept any nonsense from the elves either :)_

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><p>The orcs were nearly gone, and Kili could see (or thought he saw, he couldn't be sure) the end of the seemingly endless line. The orcs near the back weren't marching like the others, though, they were swaggering and talking loudly. Apparently there was no higher ranked Orc around to discipline them, so they were messing about.<p>

Kili shrank back further into the undergrowth. Everything ached now, and though the sick feeling had almost gone, the shivering had grown more violent and every moment he was scared that the rustling of leaves would alert the orcs to his presence. But he also found that not walking kept his head clearer. Actually being able to sit still for once meant the world didn't spin beneath his feet and turn him head over heels, it just stayed put, the right way up.

The three orcs at the end of the line, Kili realised, were arguing. He couldn't tell what it was about because they conversed in Orkish, but he could tell it was turning nasty. Just as one of them shouted something that sounded especially foul, even for the dirty tongue of orcs, another pulled out a wicked looking knife and slashed at him with it.

Black blood spewed from the gash in the orc's chest, as the other leapt upon him and started stabbing wherever he could, continuing his onslaught even when the other was clearly dead. The third orc, who hadn't said anything yet, tried to pull his companion away from the dead body, but instead, the vicious orc with the knife turned on him.

A torrent of foul language spewed from his mouth, which Kili was glad he could not understand. The other orc, who had his back to Kili, gave an exclamation and stumbled backwards, tripping over a tree root and flying through the air. Too late, Kili realised that it was going to hit him.

He tried desperately to get out of the way, but he was stiff and his right leg wasn't moving at all, so when the orc came crashing down it landed heavily, right on top of Kili. A sickening snap made him fear the worst, but when there was no pain he relaxed, just a little. He looked up and saw the orc with the knife standing over them, a broken stick beneath his foot. The other orc was still lying on top of his leg, but nothing was broken. At least, not yet.

* * *

><p>Bilbo put his finger to his lips as eleven dwarves followed him, not quite trusting, into the wine cellar. How he had managed to get the guards drunk a second time was anybody's guess, but he was sure they wouldn't keep their jobs for long - that is, if they ever woke up.<p>

After the unexpected departure of Fili, Bilbo had known it wouldn't be long before the Elven guard found out about the missing dwarf and doubled security. It was his last chance to get everybody out, so he took it, and now here they were, about to make their escape.

"Ok everyone," he said in a loud whisper, "get into the barrels,"

He gestured with his hands to make his meaning clear, but eleven dwarves simply stared back at him in disbelief. Finally Gloin spoke:

"You don't expect us to escape in those?"

"Yes, yes I do, it's the only way in or out of this place except by the front gate," said Bilbo, "just trust me, I know what I'm doing,"

He only wished it was the truth.

"I think I'd rather risk the front gate," remarked Bombur, and several of the others murmured in agreement. Bilbo turned, annoyed.

"Now look here, I wouldn't have brought you here if I didn't think this was going to work," he said with a huff of impatience, "do you want to get out or not?"

Eleven half-hearted nods.

"Well then, in you get."

* * *

><p>Legolas sprinted through the forest so fast that Fili would certainly not have been able to keep up had he not been a quite so young and nimble, and had his brother's life not been at stake. He hadn't yet dared call to the elf, just in case Legolas had the mind to shoot him with that bow of his, but as the distance between them grew, Fili knew he must not lose sight of the his pursuit or he would be just as lost as his brother.<p>

"Legolas!"

The elf did not halt immediately but swung nimbly round a slender sapling to face his pursuer. He did not look happy.

"Didn't I tell you not to follow me?"

"No," said Fili.

"Oh, well that explains it," replied Legolas, twirling his hair absent-mindedly with one finger, "I should have locked you back in your cell, where you belong,"

"Time is of the essence, remember?" growled Fili, reminding himself startlingly of his uncle.

"Oh...yeah. I guess you'd better tag along then," Legolas conceded, frowning, "do you have any weapons?"

"No, you took them all,"

"Right. Well, nothing I can do about that right now, so you'll have to do without and hope we don't meet any orcs or spiders,"

"If there's a fight, it's aways good to have backup," Fili pointed out.

"Use your fists then," said Legolas, "anyhow, we need to go. I'll run a bit slower so you can keep up. But look, Tauriel left marks on the trees showing which way she was going. I think she knew I would try to follow her..."

He trailed off with a rather dreamy look, and Fili suppressed a snigger, which unfortunately Legolas noticed, turning with a scowl.

"I'm only searching for her because we're probably going to be attacked by orcs and she's our best fighter," he defended, giving himself away completely, and as if to top it off he added "nothing personal,"

* * *

><p>Kili held his breath as the orc peered down at him, an evil leer passing over it's horrible features.<p>

"Look, Burgin, it's alive," it said, reaching out a grimy finger to poke Kili in the stomach, "we can 'ave some fun wiv this'un.

Kili shrunk backwards, trying to make himself as small as possible, but he knew it wouldn't help. The orc had already switched to the common tongue to intimidate him, so there was no escape now.

The other orc, Burgin, dragged himself upright and took a closer look at Kili.

"Looks 'arf dead to me," he said, "and we should catch up with the others Groob, or we'll get strung up for missin' the battle,"

"Nah, they'll never know we was gone," said Groob, "an' this one's got fight left in 'im. Come on, just until he's dead,"

Burgin considered for a while, and Kili sincerely hoped he was going to say no, but then the orc shrugged and said "fine. But just until he dies,"

Kili did not want to imagine what they might be thinking of doing after he died, but he did not have time to because next second he was in the air, held only by his hair.

Daggers seemed to split the sides of his head once more and he cried out in pain as his vision blurred and the world swam before him. Then the world really span as he was tossed upwards and flew through the air to be caught clumsily by his left ankle, which gave a sickening snap and sent spears of pain up Kili's leg and waves of nausea through his body. Burgin's face was inches from his own as the orc leered with stinking breath:

"You'd better enjoy this little game, dwarf, because it's the last one you'll ever play!"

Then he laughed a horrible laugh and tossed Kili back to Groob. The limp dwarf closed his eyes and did not resist. In his head he was praying to all the Valar: _please let Fili come, please let Fili find me, let me see my brother one last time before I die._

* * *

><p>Bilbo pulled the lever and watched the barrels fall into the water. To be quite honest, it looked a bit painful, but it was the only way. The wooden see-saw swung upwards again, ordinary floorboards once more, and Bilbo breathed a sigh of relief. They had escaped.<p>

But he was still in the fortress.

The others were out, but he was still in.

What had gone wrong with his plan?

Ah yes, of course.

He had forgotten himself.

Clangs in the background told him that elves were approaching and that he did not have much time. Unsure of what to do, he backed towards the wall, but completely forgot that he was on a tilting plank of wood. It swung downwards, and he found himself sliding backwards on his hairy feet until he reached the edge, then he plummeted backwards into the foam, the trap door banging closed behind him.

When he finally surfaced, he found that he was among the last of the barrels that had rolled out of the cellar, so he clung desperately onto them as they bobbed downstream. Shouts and yells came from behind the closed trap door, and he knew the elves were coming after them, so he cried:

"Faster! Faster!"

The dwarves paddled forward as fast as they could using only their hands, when Thorin called out with a hint of accusation in his voice:

"Master burglar, do you by any chance know where this river leads?"

"Um...no, I'm afraid not," replied the hobbit, then he choked because he had swallowed a mouthful of water.

"How are we going to backtrack to get Fili and Kili?" asked Gloin, worriedly.

"We'll have to get to the bank sometime soon," replied Bilbo, "in fact, sometime around now would be good. Yes, definitely right now... Ah, too late,"

As the first dwarves were sent plummeting over the edge of the waterfall, Bilbo closed his eyes and clung on for dear life. He hit the water hard at the bottom and spun round and round until he was quite dizzy, but all the time he managed to keep hold of one barrel, so in the end he bobbed to the surface, spluttering and shivering, but quite unharmed.

They were now heading towards a gate across the river, which was thankfully open, as Bilbo could hear angry shouts and the noises of battle not too far behind them. He assumed it was the elves who were coming after them, but he could not think who it was they might be fighting, as there were no giant spiders near the very edges of Mirkwood, and Fili had no weapons. The only other possible explanation was orcs, but that was absurd. They couldn't have followed them through Mirkwood - could they?

He decided to turn his attention to the situation at hand. If they could just close those gates, they could get to the shore and find somewhere to hide, plan a route to get back into Mirkwood, find Thorin's nephews and escape. It was easier said than done.

At that moment, a sandy haired elf appeared out of nowhere. Her eyes widened as she saw the escaping dwarves, then with a nimble leap she landed atop the bridge with the gate and pulled a lever. Bilbo gave a little chuckle, earning a puzzled look from Ori. The elf had thought they meant to escape through the gate. Little did she know that a blockade was just what Bilbo had wanted.

As the barrels bashed into one another, bobbing by the closed gate, Bilbo was the first to scramble ashore and, after giving a polite little bow to the female elf, he offered his hand to help Bofur out of his barrel.

Soon, eleven dripping dwarves, a hobbit and a bewildered elf maiden stood on the shoreline of the river, while empty wooden barrels bobbed in the water below. Thorin shook the water out of his hair majestically, then beckoned for the company to follow him.

"Don't move,"

The elf, who had momentarily been taken by surprise, now regained her composure and pointed her loaded arrow at each member of the company in turn, ending on Thorin, who gave his head another little shake and opened his mouth to speak.

At that moment, however, an arrow zoomed out of nowhere and found it's mark: in the elf maiden's heart. She stumbled backwards, then fell into the water with a splash and the company was sent into a frenzy. Bilbo was trying frantically to remember which pocket he put his ring in, but it was unnecessary. Thorin, the only one who had kept his head, shouted to them:

"Follow me, and keep your heads down!"

Bilbo was eternally grateful for the leader in Thorin at that moment. If it hadn't been for him, they might have all been dead in a matter of minutes. As it was, their leader lead the charge to a small clump of trees, and upon discovering a small band of orcs lurking there, fully armed and ready for battle, he didn't hesitate. He charged forward, taking the first one unawares and barging it with his shoulder before ducking under its arm, giving a neat twist and wrenching it's sword from its hand.

After that it wasn't long before all seven orcs there were lying dead, and all the dwarves had weapons of sorts, even if some of them were merely the daggers the orcs used for cutting rope. Bilbo still had Sting, since he hadn't been searched by the elves, and now he put it to good use as more and more orcs seemed to come out of nowhere and set upon them.

"We'll never get back into the forest this way," shouted Balin over the cacophony of war cries, "we'll have to retreat and find a way round,"

"No we won't!" yelled Thorin, "we will not go any further without Fili and Kili!"

"We have no choice," countered Balin, "there are too many of them,"

Bilbo personally agreed with Balin, and he got the impression most of the other dwarves did too, but Thorin was their leader and they had no choice but to follow him as he drove forward into the mass of the Orc army. As he surreptitiously slipped the ring onto his index finger, Bilbo reflected that having a leader as stubborn as Thorin was both a blessing and a curse, but if Fili and Kili were anything like their uncle in this attribute, he shouldn't be worrying about them at all.

* * *

><p>Thranduil was angry. He had no quarrel with the orcs, and they had no right to attack his kingdom. This was all that wretched dwarf's fault. And where had Legolas gone? Why was Tauriel not at her post? Everything was spiralling out of his control so fast it was making him furious.<p>

"You there," he barked at the guard on duty at the gate, "round up everyone who is outside the gates and tell them to return. We are closing the gates,"

"But your highness, the orcs will attack harder if we retreat, and the head guard is nowhere to be found. I do not have the authority," explained the elf, paling slightly at the savage look on his King's face.

"I KNOW TAURIEL IS MISSING," spat Thranduil, rage spewing from within him, "and I am giving you the authority. Now GO!"


	6. Chapter 6

_*insert evil cackle of glee* I know I'm horrible for leaving you on that cliffhanger last chapter. But at least I'm updating sooner than I first intended, after some of your great reviews expressing pain at Kili's unfortunate predicament. Not that this chapter is any less painful *laughs maniacally* and I think you ought to know that it all gets worse from here, and won't get better for quite a few chapters. But I did make this one extra long rather than leave you on an even worse cliffhanger, and there is plenty of Kili and Tauriel in this chapter and the chapters to come. See, I can be nice! And don't forget to send Kili your love (he needs it) and me your hate (don't worry, I can take it!) via the magical review box! Anyway, enjoy the angst!_

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><p>Hanging from a tree by his fingertips, a hundred feet off the ground, Kili knew this was the end. It didn't matter, he supposed. It would be a relief. The rest of the company could go on and retake Erebor without a weak, skinny, accident prone archer holding them back. Fili would mourn, but then he would move on. <em>He was going to be a great King<em>, thought Kili with a sad smile. He only wished he could see his brother's face one last time, to tell him he would love him forever, no matter what different worlds they were in.

But his fingers were slipping on the smooth bark and Kili knew he had mere seconds before he fell.

"_I love you Fili_," he whispered to the air, then he let go.

The wind whistled in Kili's ears as he plummeted, but it didn't drown out the jeers and laughs of the two orcs down below, one of them only just climbing down from the last branch after hanging Kili up there in the first place. It seemed he stayed in the air for an hour - or was it just a second - but when he hit the ground he hit it hard and fast, his broken ankle twisting agonisingly under him, and lay on his front, just breathing and taking in the pain.

It took him a moment to realise that he wasn't dead. On opening his eyes a fraction and seeing the dirt of the forest floor before him, his first emotion was confusion, but it only lasted for a second before it was overtaken by a wave of agony. He gave a weak cough, flaming arrows shooting up and down his body like Gandalf's fireworks, and pain seemed the only thing that was real any more. That, and the voices above him.

"'Ow's it still alive?"

"Yeah, 'ow many times do we 'aff to kill it before it dies?"

"I know, let's burn it. Plen'y of wood round 'ere,"

"Nah, stupid, tha'll set the whole forest on fire that will!"

"Let's 'ear a better idea then,"

"We bash it's 'ead in a rock until it dies,"

"Fine, just do it quick,"

Kili heard footsteps coming his way, but he didn't even bother to look up. Whether he could have if he tried, he didn't know.

The orc grabbed the back of his cloak and hauled him into the air. The cloak tightened round his neck like a noose and Kili found himself struggling to breath, at which the orc gave a wicked laugh.

"Goodnight, Dwarvish scum," he spat, then threw Kili forward hard, towards a rock already stained with Kili's blood from when they cut foul Orkish words into his hands and feet. The orc had been meaning for Kili to hit the rock head first, but his aim had been too high and Kili's chest slammed into it, several cracks splitting the air as his ribs snapped with the impact.

"Still not dead?" Sneered the orc who hadn't thrown him. Kili had long ago lost track of which was Burgin and which was Groob. "Come on, let's just finish 'im off now, I'm bored,"

With a shiver, Kili felt a sharp cold blade pressed into his neck.

"Any last words, filth?" The orc leered.

Kili still had the wind knocked out of him, and with every shallow breath his ribs screamed in agony, so speaking was out of the question. But it seemed the Orc wanted an answer because he lifted Kili clean into the air by the hair and dangled him before his ugly face, knife pressing harder into Kili's neck.

"I said, any last words, you miserable excuse for a dwarf?"

Kili tried to shake his head, trying desperately to lift his arms so he could be held up by something more than his hair, but his shoulders wouldn't work and his head felt like it was being ground to a pulp and he could see stars and knew death was near anyway, even if the orc didn't finish him off with the knife, when...

From somewhere up above, a burning red flame danced into view, and suddenly Kili was no longer held in the air about to be murdered by an orc, but was on the ground and able to breathe. The orcs were shouting, but the flame danced then both went silent and fell to the floor.

Kili could barely keep his eyes open as the burning bright figure moved towards him. He hoped it was going to send him on to a better world, a world without pain, a world without Fili...Fili...his brother...

No. No, he couldn't die. Death was so close, but there was still life in him, small and pitiful as it might be. He had held on for this long, he couldn't let go now. For Fili.

The flame drew closer, and Kili saw it was not a flame at all, but a woman. A beautiful, elven woman, with fire for hair and skin that seemed to radiate with light. Come to take him from this life. He tried to cringe away, but he couldn't move. He tried to protest, but the only noise that came from his mouth was a low moan of pain.

The woman looked concerned, and bent down to kneel beside him, lifting his head in her hand. She smiled warmly, as if to tell him it was all going to be alright.

But that was wrong. Nothing was alright if Fili wasn't with him. He opened his mouth and, with plenty of effort, he managed to get out:

"Feee?"

The elf frowned with concern, and put her hand to his forehead to check his temperature. Kili tried again, more urgently.

"Feeee?"

Her eyes widened in understanding, then her features softened immediately.

"Fili is safe. He sent me to find you," she said, with another smile, but this time Kili noticed her eyes were filled with worry. Still, he was glad that Fili was safe and knew that if his brother had sent this elf to fetch him, she couldn't be bad. He relaxed, but the elf continued talking.

"You're wounded badly. I need to get you back to my home. Fili is there. I can help you walk, but I can't carry you,"

Kili understood, but he knew immediately it was futile. He was sure the Elf could see for herself the white bones sticking out of his left ankle, the green lines of poison spreading from his right foot, the red blossom of blood spreading out from the gash in his side from one of the orc's wicked knives, and as he looked up again he saw in her face that she knew it too. They would have to stay put and hope that help came to them. Before it was too late.

* * *

><p>Fili was right behind Legolas as they emerged into yet another small clearing. If Fili hadn't known better than to question the elf's sense of direction, he would have said they had been here before. Legolas halted, and Fili came to a stop beside him. Legolas was scanning the higher branches of the trees, as if worried something might emerge from them, and Fili didn't blame him; the battle with the spiders was still fresh in his mind and he wasn't eager for a repeat of it.<p>

"Which way now?" asked Fili, impatient to find Tauriel and hopefully his brother.

Legolas didn't answer, but tightened his grip on his bow.

"Which way?" Fili repeated, but Legolas whispered:

"Shhh!"

The dwarf fell silent and listened intently. There was only the rustle of leaves, and a faint clicking from the branches overhead.

"What is it?" he whispered to the the elf, but Legolas shook his head for him to shut up.

The clicking noise was growing louder, but he couldn't pinpoint where he'd heard it before. That was, until he saw a long hairy leg move behind the cover of leaves, far above him in a tree. He muttered a curse in Khuzdul.

"Fight or flight?" he whispered to Legolas.

"Will you shut up?" Legolas hissed back, annoyed.

"Sorry, only wondering what's going on in that puny little elf brain of yours," snapped Fili.

"Says the thick-skulled dwarf," scoffed Legolas, "and if we move, those spiders will notice us, so for the love of Eru, stay still!"

"We can't stay here forever," the dwarf pointed out, "wouldn't it be better just to run for it?"

"The spiders are too fast," said Legolas in a hushed voice, "now shut up, I'm trying to get a clear shot,"

Fili shut his mouth and moved out of the way as quietly as he could so that Legolas had more room to string an arrow to his bow and aim high up into the leaves. There was a louder scuffle overhead, and a hairy leg became visible for a split second. A twang, a whizz and a squeal told Fili that Legolas's arrow had hit its mark. It was followed closely by several snaps and crashes as the dead body of the spider fell through the foliage, landing on the ground a few feet away. Fili breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, that was easy," he remarked.

"Too easy," said Legolas grimly, "there will be more,"

"Then let's go!" Fili urged impatiently, "let's get away from here as soon as possible, then they can't find us!"

"You're right," replied Legolas, somewhat reluctantly, "I think it's this way,"

"You think?" Fili stopped and looked at the elf, "do you mean to tell me that we are lost?"

"No, of course not, I live here. I know these woods," said Legolas, trying to sound casual.

"Then why did you just lead us into a nest of spiders?" Fili asked, a note of fear in his voice which did not go unnoticed by Legolas, who was looking the other way but spun round at Fili's words.

"A nest?" he questioned, surprised, then he saw and understood.

"Take my sword, Fili," he said grimly, "and let's hope you're as good at fighting as you make out to be."

* * *

><p>"Thorin, it's no use!" cried Dwalin over the combined noise of the river and the yells of the orcs he was sending one by one toppling into it, "we have to retreat!"<p>

"No! I will not - leave - my - nephews!" huffed the leader, sticking his sword though the skull of one orc then spinning round to slash the head off another. Even before his sword had cut clean through its neck a third orc was upon him, about to swing a battle axe that would have been the end of him had Nori not intervened.

"Thorin, there are too many! Go back!" he said as he tossed the decapitated Orc into the swirling foam.

"No - I -" puffed Thorin, but before he could say "won't" Nori pushed him backwards into a barrel and pulled the lever to open the river gate.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU —" shouted Thorin as he plummeted over the edge of the waterfall, before he hit the bottom and went under, accidentally swallowing a mouthful of water then choking on it.

"I'm saving us all," shouted Nori, answering Thorin's unfinished question. Then he started slicing his way along the riverbank away from Mirkwood, shouting to the rest of the group "Ok, we're leaving now!"

The others were only too glad to follow him.

* * *

><p>Tauriel hadn't thought this through when she had left in search of a missing dwarf. She hadn't come prepared. How could she have been prepared for this? She was lost in the middle of a forest full of foul things with a half conscious and probably dying dwarf. She had no herbs, no medicine, no water to cure his dehydration and clean his wounds, not even a bandage to staunch the bleeding of Kili's hands and feet and the ugly looking knife wound in his side. The dwarf's prospects were not looking good.<p>

Then it hit her: this was her fault. If she hadn't tarried when she saw the orcs, or just been a bit quicker following Kili's trail, she might have reached him soon enough to spare him some of this pain. If she hadn't followed the orc voices at all she might have found him before he suffered so much as a scratch. But she hadn't, and now he was mortally wounded and she didn't know what to do about it. Once again, someone was dying in her arms because she had not been quick enough.

Because this wasn't the first time it had happened. Twice before, an elf had been lost while hunting in the forest, and she had found them hours later dying of fatal spider bites. She had held them in her arms and talked softly to them until the light went out in their eyes and the last wisps of breath had vanished away. After the first time, she had sworn it would never happen again. After the second time, she had vowed eternal revenge on whatever foul creature dare do such a thing. Yet here she was again, at a stranger's deathbed, sitting by and doing nothing, given up already. She knew she must not do that. She would not lose another person, elf or dwarf, to the forest. It was time for her to do something about it.

She could start by making some bandages, she thought, and without a moment's hesitation she tore a strip from the hem of her cloak and wrapped it tightly round the dwarf's left hand. She repeated this for his right, then for his left foot, taking care not to do any more damage to his broken ankle. When she got to his right foot, however, she paused, taking in what she saw.

This scratch was barely deeper than his brother's. Kili must have suffered some if not all of the immediate effects of this particular spider poison: emotional instability, dizziness, hallucinations; often the effects varied from individual to individual. Eventually it would render complete numbness of limbs, but it would take several days before it sent the victim into a permanent coma.

But this dwarf had suffered the effects of the poison on top of severe dehydration, and still managed to walk for hours through the forest. Tauriel doubted even her finest warriors would have been able to do that. No, this dwarf was not ordinary. He was a survivor.

Searching in one of her numerous hidden pockets, she found the herb she was looking for. Smiling in the knowledge that she had not come completely unprepared - as she carried this particular plant whenever she ventured out into the forest and had used it only a few hours ago on Kili's brother - she removed a small knife from her belt and swiftly drew it across the spider's scratch to re-open the wound. There was a small gasp from Kili.

"I'm sorry," she said, pressing the green leaves into the cut she had made, "it'll make you feel better."

To her surprise, Kili opened his eyes and actually smiled.

"Are you sure you were sent by Fili?" he asked, "because I could swear you were sent by the Valar,"

She couldn't help but laugh at that, although deeper down she was flattered by his sincerity. But the simple statement also showed something else: that he was holding on. He hadn't given up yet. Which was definitely a good thing, considering his position, and Tauriel knew she would do all in her power to keep him alive until help found them. Had anyone followed her trail? She could only hope.

She bound Kili's foot with another strip of cloak, leaving the leaves over the wound to draw out all the poison in the dwarf's blood. Then she turned to his other injuries. His face was red and raw all down one side as if it had been ground against a tree, and his nose was bleeding, although it wasn't broken. All that needed was a wash, but Tauriel had no water so that would have to wait.

Kili's ankle was probably his worst injury, the white bone sticking out horrifically from the maimed flesh, but Tauriel was not sure she could set it without damaging it more, so she let it be for now. Then she noticed that Kili seemed to be having a slight trouble breathing, so, with a quick apology, tore open the dwarf's grime-covered shirt to see what damage had been done there. The ribs that had been cracked when Kili was thrown against the rock were swelling rapidly, but after a brief inspection Tauriel confirmed that none of them were out of place, and they would heal in time. When she got water, she would use it to stop the swelling, but until then, there was nothing she could do.

From tearing open the shirt, however, she had revealed another injury which was much worse. The Orkish blade had ripped a long gash down Kili's side which was rapidly deteriorating and in desperate need of cleaning. Blood was no longer flowing freely from it, but oozing and clotting, mixed with foul yellow pus, and Tauriel knew without closer inspection that it was a wound only an orc's weapon could make. Right now, in the middle of a forest and without proper medicine, it was beyond her healing powers. Again, she could only hope help would come quickly. Tearing another long strip from her rapidly shrinking cloak, Tauriel wrapped it tightly round Kili's torso, getting only the occasional "mmph" from the dwarf, who was no doubt in a lot of pain but doing very well at not showing it.

Having tended all other wounds that she could do anything about, Tauriel looked again at Kili's ankle. It had been broken badly, but if she left it chances were it would get worse. Tauriel thought she could set it, but it was going to be very painful for Kili.

"Kili," she said softly.

"Yes, fair elf sent by the Gods?" Kili replied with total and utter trust in his eyes.

"It's Tauriel," she told him, "and listen to me. I'm going to put your ankle in place, and it's going to hurt. Just be brave, and it'll be over soon,"

Kili nodded. He was feeling a lot better since the spider poison had started being drawn out of his blood, although he still had a headache from lack of water. He could be brave. He could be brave like Fili, for the sake of Tauriel.

The pain came quickly but went away just as fast. Actually, when he looked at Tauriel, almost all his pain went away, apart from a weird fluttering in his chest that had nothing to do with his broken ribs.

* * *

><p>Four eyes stared into the darkness. Forty eight eyes stared back. Who would strike first, the four eyes or the forty eight? The elf and the dwarf, or the six giant spiders?<p>

The giant spiders were the only creatures in middle earth, perhaps apart from orcs, that Legolas spared no mercy for. He might distrust this dwarf whom he was fighting with, but he knew when there was no escaping a fight. Better to have the first shot than to wait for the spiders to choose the moment. His bow gave a resounding twang, and the battle was on.

Fili felt slightly defenceless with only one sword, as opposed to the twin swords he was used to. This sword was lighter too, and a bit longer, but he made good work of the first spider, and the second.

Legolas had brought down three more spiders since the first one, and that was the end of the original group, but another eight spiders, bigger this time, had emerged from the branches above them. The bow twanged once, and a spider fell to the ground. The noise came again, followed by another high pitched squeal, but Legolas hadn't noticed a rather large spider creeping up behind him. Fili noticed it just as it was about to bite, but he was engaged in a fight of his own so the best he could do was cry out:

"Legolas, behind you!"

The elf turned in an awkward sort of leap, barely missing the spider's outstretched mouth parts, just in time to plunge an arrow into the beast's eye, but he shouted a back to Fili:

"Remind me never again to trust a dwarf to have my back,"

Another minute passed, and there were now only three spiders left. Legolas was prancing round one of them, while Fili was trying to fend off two at once, coming from different directions, with only one sword. If only he could get underneath one of them, he could get a good stick in its soft underbelly, but it was impossible to get through the eight legs without being stabbed by at least one of them. If he got the spider in the air, however, he could get underneath its legs safely and maybe even chop a few off in the process...

Seeing a small, springy sapling, Fili had an idea. It was really only an idea that his brother would have, too crazy for anyone more mature to try, but it might just work.

"Cover me!" he called to Legolas, who looked over at him with an expression that said _this had better be something sensible_. To Fili's relief, though, the elf finished off his spider with a neat shot through the crack separating head and body, and turned to take on the remaining two.

"Get one to come this way," Fili called, earning a completely bewildered but somewhat bemused sideways glance. Legolas turned to the spider that was nearest Fili, then started forcing it to back up towards where the dwarf stood. Fili noticed that Legolas would have been better off with his sword at this point, but felt no guilt at all for taking it since it had been the elf who had offered it in the first place.

Continuing to back away from the pesky little sharp thing that was annoying it, the spider thought it was moving over a thin fallen tree. It didn't realise it's mistake until the dwarf, who was holding the sapling down with his whole weight, let go.

Fili rushed after the catapulted spider as it flew in an arc over the clearing, jumping and dodging hairy black bodies along the way, until he was directly under it as it fell. Judging his timing carefully, he waited a moment, then spun on the spot, arm and sword outstretched above him, then rolled out of the way just in time for the grotesque, eight eyed, recently made legless spider hit the ground exactly where he had been standing the moment before and rolled over. Raising the sword high, he paused and turned to his elf companion with a cheeky grin, unable to resist.

"Hey, he's like you now," he told the elf, who was standing over the body of the last other remaining spider looking confused, "You're Legolas, and he's legless!"

He spun back round, missing the look of exasperation and disbelief that crossed Legolas's face, and drove the elvish sword deep into the belly of the spider. Then he twisted it round to make sure it was completely covered in spider entrails, before drawing it out and giving it back to its owner, who now wore a look of disgust but wiped the sword clean on a clump of weeds growing near the roots of a tree and put it back in its sheath.

"Also remind me," said Legolas with a sniff, "never to lend a dwarf my weapon again."

"You've no one to blame but yourself," shrugged Fili with a hint of a grin, then sobered as he remembered the reason they were in these woods in the first place. "Let's look around for Tauriel's mark, shall we? I'd rather not stay here any longer than we have to,"

"I agree," replied Legolas, noticing the change in the dwarf's mood and deciding to forgive him for his earlier moment of immaturity, "the sooner we find them, the better,"


	7. Chapter 7

_Once again, thanks to all you lovely reviewers, you inspire me every day. I haven't got much to say here (for once), so you can breathe a sigh of relief now and continue with the story. Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>As soon as the riverbank was in reach, Thorin stretched out a hand and pulled himself up onto the shore, coughing up water. The disgrace of it! He would certainly have severe words with Nori later. Of all his remaining company, he would never have expected any of them to be capable of such a thing!<p>

But where were the rest of the group? He had see them several times as he spun round and round in his barrel, dashing along the riverbank to keep up with him. But then there had been some orcs close behind and his dwarves had had to turn and finish them off. They wouldn't still be fighting, would they? As he formed the thought, Thorin feared the worst. Getting a better grip on his dripping sword, he started to run back alongside the river to find, and possibly rescue, his company.

* * *

><p>"Look, there's something carved into that tree!" Fili called across to Legolas, running over to the thick trunk of one of the trees surrounding this new clearing they had reached and pulling away the leaves covering it, breathing a sigh of relief. Legolas bounded over in a moment to stand beside him.<p>

"By the Valar, you've found it!" exclaimed the elf, his eyes widening, "we're back on track! Come on, this way,"

The two soon found another symbol, then another, and they moved faster the more they found, now confident they were going the right way.

"I know this place," said Legolas after a while, "we're quite near the path,"

At that moment, they burst through the gap between two trees and came abruptly to a halt. There, in front of them, were the two people they most wanted to see in the world.

"Kiliiii!" cried Fili, and fell to his knees beside his brother, hugging him and kissing him and feeling overwhelmed with the happiness of finding him alive, yet distraught at the same time for the injuries in plain sight. What had his brother gone through? Kili hugged him back, so glad for his brother to be beside him once more that he did not even question how Fili had managed to get here in the first place but found himself crying tears of relief.

Tauriel stood up to allow the brothers a moment of privacy, and moved over to converse with Legolas in their native tongue.

"You are in a lot of trouble when we get back," Legolas informed her icily.

"With who, may I ask?" replied Tauriel with just as much coolness in her tone.

"My father," Legolas said, "for neglecting your post,"

"For finishing a job," the head guard contradicted, "and I'm only in as much trouble as you are,"

"I followed you, you went out into the forest first," hissed the Prince, annoyed at Tauriel's nerve to stand up to him.

"You also let a prisoner go free," Tauriel countered smoothly, "and I'm sure your father didn't approve of you following me the first time, let alone a second,"

Legolas said nothing, but knew he was beaten. Of course, he could use his status to get Tauriel into trouble himself, but it wasn't worth the effort, and plus, he wasn't sure if he really wanted her in trouble anyway. He looked again at the dwarves on the ground, who were talking in whispers choked with emotion.

"I've never seen anything quite like it," remarked Legolas, and Tauriel nodded.

"The first thing Kili did when I found him was ask where Fili was," she told him with a smile, "you see now why I went searching for him? I think it was worth it, just for this,"

Legolas gave a noncommittal shrug, watching the brothers' reunion with slight scepticism.

"How did he get those wounds?" he asked.

"Orcs," replied Tauriel simply, inclining her head towards where the two dead bodies lay, "they were torturing him when I arrived. His worst injury is a cut from a poisoned Orkish knife, and I don't know how long he'll last without medicine,"

Legolas nodded solemnly. He knew orcs had a sick sense of humour, and this didn't surprise him one bit. They looked on for a few more moments in silence as Fili continued to hold his brother as if they had been separated for years, not mere hours.

"Dwarves have a very close sibling bond," remarked Tauriel, breaking the silence, "it's beautiful, don't you think?"

"Maybe, but as soon as we get back that Fili one is going back in his cell where he belongs," the Prince of Mirkwood spoke at last, hiding no disdain in his voice.

"You can't separate them for a second time Legolas, that's just too cruel," Tauriel almost scolded him, but then she found herself curious; "how did he get out in the first place?"

"I let him tag along. I knew he wouldn't try and run away without his brother."

"Well, I'm glad you did. But we need to get to water soon, Kili is dehydrated, but I couldn't carry him myself,"

She switched back to the common tongue and said "Fili, we need to go now. Your brother needs water. Legolas can carry him."

"No, I'll carry him," said Fili firmly, then after murmuring a few words to his brother, lifted him into his arms like a child with such tenderness that Tauriel had to swallow a lump in her throat.

Legolas looked as though he didn't at all like the idea of Fili carrying Kili, but he said nothing except "come on then, let's go," and turned to lead the way.

* * *

><p>Bilbo had been having trouble keeping up with the group as they ran downstream, cutting a path through the orcs who seemed to swarm in from every direction. It was a dilemma; if he put the ring on, he wasn't aimed at with swords and arrows, but he kept being run into by orcs, and sometimes dwarves as well who couldn't see him. If he kept it off, however, he had to rely on his sword, Sting, and his light-footedness to keep him alive. While he didn't find it hard to be nimble, his sword skills were virtually non-existent so he decided in the end to keep the ring on and hope to avoid any charging dwarves.<p>

As he ran as fast as his short little legs would carry him down the slope, he saw something out of the corner of his eye that wasn't part of the battle. Coming to a halt he barely had time to dive out of the way of Bombur, who was running down the hill faster than Bilbo had ever seen him go before, big orange braided beard swinging comically from side to side.

Now he wasn't running any more, Bilbo could get a good look at the people who were obviously trying to stay unnoticed while keeping a close watch on the escaping dwarves. They were elves, about ten of them, all armed with bows and arrows and jogging at a light pace to keep the dwarves in sight. Knowing he wouldn't be noticed if he came just a little bit closer, Bilbo ran not far behind the group so he could hear what they were saying.

To his dismay, however, once he could make out their words he found he could not understand any of it. The elves were speaking in their native tongue, which of course Bilbo didn't know, so though he still trotted along as fast as he could to keep up with the long legged elves' light jogging, there wasn't much point any more. All he could tell was that they were talking fast and that one was giving instructions to the rest.

Without warning, the elves split off into two groups, one going straight downhill but the other turning off towards the river and the fight still raging between the orcs and the dwarves. Bilbo hadn't been expecting it and he barely had time to take it in, let alone make a conscious decision as to which party to follow. He just continued to let gravity take him downwards, not far behind the five elves that remained in front of him.

Then the remaining elves veered towards the river as well but Bilbo stumbled as he tried to slow down and follow them, slipped on a loose rock and fell, head over heels, down the steep hill. He was brought to an abrupt halt as the river meandered and he found himself tumbling into the sloshing waves and getting drenched to the skin. By the time he had crawled back out, shivering and soaked, it was too late and the elves were nowhere in sight. He sighed, gave his head a little shake to clear it, then took off the ring. The sun would probably dry his clothes better if it actually had something to shine on.

* * *

><p>Thorin, meanwhile, had found the rest of the group. They were fiercely battling orcs not far up the stream from where he had landed in his barrel, and as soon as he saw them, he charged head-first into the fray. There was too much going on for any of the other dwarves to pay him any attention, except for Balin who dropped a comment as they backed past each other, each in combat with an orc.<p>

"There's nothing like a swim for sharpening the senses, eh?"

Thorin only growled, but his attention was too focused on the orc trying to slash his head off to think of a good retort.

At the same moment that his sword found its mark in a gap in the orc's armour, Thorin felt an arrow whistle past his ear and thud into soft flesh just behind him. He turned, letting the orc's body drop from his sword, and saw the arrow sticking clean through the neck of another orc: one that had been right behind him and raising an axe. With a jolt of horror, Thorin realised that the arrow had just saved his life.

His first thought was of Kili - who else did he know who wielded a bow? - but then he saw that the arrow was undoubtedly elvish and his heart sank. To owe his life to a wretched elf! He could never live with such a wound to his pride. Then he realised no orcs had attacked him in at least five seconds, which either meant that they had retreated or been killed. Orcs never retreated, he knew that from bitter personal experience. Pushing back the memories that came flooding into his mind, he looked around. The orcs, which had far outnumbered the dwarves a few moments ago, were all lying on the ground with arrows sticking out of them, his company were looking around in surprise, and on all sides, stalking towards them with less than friendly expressions, were elves. He counted ten in all.

As the company backed together, Thorin glared into the cold grey eyes of the elf nearest him, his previous indignation at owing his life to one of their despicable kind vanishing an instant as he realised their motives.

"Do not expect us to come quietly," he said with ice in his tone, "we outnumber you by one. We will fight until the bitter end,"

"You would be wise to drop your weapons," replied the Elf, although his menace had nothing on Thorin's.

"We do not spare the lives of our enemies," the Dwarf King countered, pure loathing etched into his face.

"Very well then. Let it be so," the Elf said grimly.

At that moment, however, another elf sped down the hill and came to a halt beside the one who had been talking. They conversed in hushed tones for a moment in Sindarin, then one of them barked an order to the other elves, who moved suddenly. Thorin took this as the signal for the battle to commence, but even as he yelled "CHARGE!" the elves seemed to melt away all at once. Knowing that it was impossible for any creature to just disappear, Thorin looked around in bewilderment. Then he noticed movement through the trees a little way away from the river on the other bank, but before he could rub his eyes to see if he was dreaming, it was gone. He looked back at the rest of the group, who were just as confused as he was. Dwalin came up to him and put a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Thorin," he said, "they're elves, you can't understand 'em unless you are one, and thank Mahal you're not so don't let it bother you,"

The leader nodded, taking in his friend's wise words, then turned to the others.

"Right, we're going back. This is where we turn around," he said with authority.

The rest of the company let out a unanimous groan and Bombur said "you can't be serious! We're all gonna die of hunger if we don't get food soon,"

"Mahal, Bombur, you'd think after Mirkwood you'd understand the meaning of hunger!" Bofur chided him, "we just had the equivalent of a three course meal in the elves' dungeons, remember? They're good enough not to starve their prisoners,"

"Exactly," said Thorin, leaping onto the argument, "we are all fed and rested and as well as we'll ever be. We are close to Mirkwood, so we have not got far to walk at all,"

"And where exactly in Mirkwood are we going to find Fili and Kili?" Gloin asked pointedly.

"What do we do if the elves have already got them?" added Oin.

"We...we... I'll think of something," Thorin evaded.

"Excuse me," interrupted Bilbo, who had suddenly appeared beside Thorin. None of the dwarves had noticed him arrive, even though he had not been wearing the ring.

"I noticed that further downstream you can see a lake. There seems to be a town on it,"

"Laketown," Thorin breathed, looking down with new hope at Bilbo, "do you have a plan, master hobbit?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, I do," answered Bilbo, feeling for once that he was actually being listened to and rather enjoying it, "it's quite simple really. We can't afford to lose any more time on this quest, so you all go to Laketown and do whatever the next part of the plan was, and I'll stay here and watch the gate. When the elves find Fili and Kili - and I'm sure that they will eventually - I will get them out and we will come down to Laketown and join you. If by then you have moved on, leave someone behind to wait for us, then we can all meet on the mountain,"

Bilbo ended with a gulp, as his plan was rather selfless and he didn't much like the idea of waiting by the gate until Fili and Kili were captured and brought back, but it was the only thing he could think of that didn't include fighting elves or entering Mirkwood. The dwarves took their time to think about his suggestion, but after a while Balin said:

"I can't think of anything better. I say we do it,"

"Will you be alright on your own, Bilbo?" asked Ori kindly.

"Oh yes, I'll be fine," the hobbit said as he shrugged off the offer of company. He didn't need another person to worry about, and the ring was still a secret.

"That's settled then," said Thorin finally, giving Bilbo a rather hard pat on the shoulder, "let's be off. The best of luck to you, Master Burglar, and let's hope you can burgle my nephews out of there as soon as possible. We will need your help when we get to the mountain,"

"And you'll need your nephews back, I shouldn't wonder," replied Bilbo, giving a little wave as the rest of the company set off down the hill and were soon out of sight. Then he ran his hands through his wet hair and decided he could keep the ring off for a little longer as he started the steep climb back towards the Elven fortress.


	8. Chapter 8

_You wonderful lovely amazing reviewers always brighten my day :) you have no idea how much your reviews mean to me. Without them I would have probably stopped writing long ago._

_I mentioned previously that things were going to get worse before they get better. But don't lose hope! This isn't a death fic (I don't think...)!_

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><p>Fili knew he was growing tired, but his gaze didn't waver as he stared down the elf.<p>

"Just let him, Legolas, it is his brother after all," implored Tauriel as she tried, and failed, to break up the staring contest.

"We need to get going," she added with exasperation, but it was no use. But then a weak voice spoke up from Fili's shoulder, cracked and carrying too much pain.

"Water,"

At this, the blond dwarf seemed to break, lowering his gaze to look sadly at his little brother as if his whole world was shattering before him.

"You're right," he croaked, "we must be swift," and he lifted the young dwarf from himself and handed him over with utmost care to Legolas, his eyes now never leaving his brother.

Legolas received Kili delicately, knowing that if he made one false move Fili would take back the dwarf and they would be back to the slow pace they had been going at before. Despite all he said about dwarves, Legolas wasn't about to let one die when they had put so much effort into saving him. It was imperative they reached the river fast.

They did move faster when Legolas was carrying Kili, Fili had to admit to himself. He worried over his brother, and did his best to keep up with Legolas to make sure the elf wasn't jolting him too much to aggravate his injuries, but Kili was carried smoothly over all obstacles and showed no sign of discomfort. Fili felt a small blow to his pride, but it was overwhelmed by the relief at being able to go faster.

Kili had begun to deteriorate from the moment they started moving. He had been sick twice and was an even deathlier shade of green than when they had found him. Kili himself had tried to put on a brave face, but it had soon become clear that he would only get worse until they found water.

It was the most painful for Fili, since Tauriel and Legolas both knew where the river was and had a sense of getting closer. For the dwarf, it was Mirkwood, Mirkwood and more Mirkwood, with no sense of direction whatsoever, only his trust in the elves' judgement. Several times he asked how much further it was to the stream, and each time he would get the same reply of 'Not far,"

He felt like a child again, asking how long it was until supper time. But much worse.

After what seemed like years to Fili, they finally reached the stream. Tauriel reached it first, bending down and filling a water skin of her own, which she handed to Fili. Legolas had knelt down with Kili and placed the invalid carefully on the riverbank, and Fili had been quick to prop his brother up on his lap and tenderly place the water skin to his brother's lips.

"Don't let him drink too much at once," warned Tauriel, as she set about cleaning Kili's many wounds with another piece of cloth she had ripped from her cloak. She had given up on the cloak itself ages ago.

Kili remained silent but drank all that Fili would allow then lay back with closed eyes and an almost peaceful expression. It would have been completely peaceful had it not been punctuated with flinches as Tauriel worked tirelessly on one wound after another for what could have been half an hour, until every injury was clean and bandaged, and there was no more she could do. Legolas, on the other hand, had watched from a distance, bow in hand, alert for any dangers that might come their way.

"He's hot," said Fili as he stroked back his brother's hair from his sweat-drenched forehead, "I think he has a fever,"

"That is likely," Tauriel admitted, "but I think it would be best to get him back home. Legolas' father may be stubborn and unfriendly towards dwarves," she cast a wary sideways glance at the Prince, who had not heard, "but he cannot refuse you aid."

She did not mention Kili's wound from the orc knife, which she had cleaned as best she could but which had shown no sign of improvement. The poison orcs used on their weapons was deadly, but death would be drawn out and painful so Kili still had time. In this situation, Thranduil was their best hope.

Fili nodded. As much as he disliked the elf King, he knew it was Kili's only chance. It had got colder, so Fili removed his own cloak and wrapped it round his shivering brother, who had lost his somewhere in the forest, then picked up the frail body and began to follow Tauriel.

Legolas saw them and hopped lightly over to join them, offering to carry Kili.

"It's not far, let Fili carry him," replied Tauriel before the dwarf could protest. Legolas nodded in submission.

They went at a walk because it was getting darker too and they couldn't risk one of them tripping on an unseen obstacle. Kili was a little more alert now, and occasionally talked to Fili in whispers punctuated with frequent gasps. Every time Fili asked what hurt, Kili would put his head on his shoulder like he used to do when he was a child.

"Everything," the younger dwarf would moan quietly, tears finding their way out of his eyes against his will.

Fili needed all his strength to appear solid at these times. Even though he was crumbling on the inside, he would not let it show, not when Kili needed it so much. He would go into default for comforting Kili, something that came naturally from years of experience, and be the strong older brother that he had promised he would be, all those months ago when they left their home in the Blue Mountains.

* * *

><p>"Close the gates!" commanded Thranduil, not exactly angry yet but just cross that his guards were, once again, paying him no heed. One of them turned this time from the hushed conversation that was going on by the gates and walked up to the King, looking somewhat terrified.<p>

"Your highness," he said, bowing low, his dark hair falling in front of his eyes, which he brushed behind his ear with a trembling finger, "we cannot shut the gates yet. The Prince has not yet returned, and neither has Tauriel,"

Thranduil turned, suddenly angry, "what do you mean not returned? I did not hear of my son leaving the palace a second time,"

"He left just after you spoke with him," the guard gulped, "the blond dwarf followed him. I tried to stop him,"

"Tried to stop who? My son or the dwarf? Answer me!"

"The dwarf, your highness," the guard had gone as white as a sheet and was trembling like a leaf.

"So you mean to tell me that not only has my head guard abandoned her post and my son is alone in the forest, but a prisoner escaped and left _out of the front gate_?" Thranduil spat, with steam almost coming out of his ears.

"I'm afraid it's worse than that, your highness," replied the guard, accepting his fate and choosing to reveal everything, which they had kept from the King in the hope that it might be put right before he so much as guessed about it. "All of the other dwarves escaped down the river in empty wine barrels. They are now well on their way to Lake Town,"

"And why, pray, did you not think to tell me this before?" Thranduil's voice was suddenly soft and menacing, every syllable as deadly as a knife.

"We...we...we hoped we could recapture them, your highness," the guard trembled.

"But you failed," it wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"Y-yes, your highness,"

"CLOSE THE GATES!" the Elvenking roared suddenly, causing the guard in front of him to jump and scurry to the gates as fast as he could. None of the guards dared disobey this time.

"So what if Legolas is out there," Thranduil muttered to himself as he heard the gates clang together, "let him stay out there. He has no one but himself to blame," then he stormed off to his chamber, cloak billowing in his wake.

* * *

><p>Bilbo skidded to a halt just as the gates clanged shut. He was trapped outside. Why, though, would the elves shut the gates, when from what he'd seen and heard at least two of them plus Fili were out looking for Kili? They wouldn't shut out their own, surely? There was only one explanation: Kili had been found and brought back.<p>

He found himself breathing a long sigh of relief. The knowledge that Kili was safe meant a huge burden was lifted off his shoulders, and he smiled even though nobody could see him. He didn't even care that he was shut out right now, he was sure to think of a way to get in then get them out again. There was sure to be a secret entrance that a hobbit could crawl through, and once he was inside he could work it out from there.

He wasted no time in beginning his search. Walking slowly around the outside of the palace, sticking close to the wall and inspecting it carefully for hidden doorways, it occurred mildly to him that his stomach was rumbling slightly, but after the days spent starving in Mirkwood it was nothing in comparison so Bilbo was easily able to ignore it. Back in his other life, before Gandalf had turned up with an offer of adventure, he would have considered a rumbling stomach a dreadful occurrence and probably eaten a five course meal on the spot. How everything had changed since then!

After a few minutes, he realised how long this was going to take him, as it had never occurred to him while on the inside just how big the palace was from the outside. Going at this pace it might take over an hour to get all the way round. As far as he could see, however, there wasn't any other way he would be able to get in, and he was sure there would be secret passages, just like the ones Balin had told him there were in Erebor. Taking a leaf out of Thorin's book of dwarvish stubbornness, he quickened his pace, determined to get all the way round before the sun went down. From it's positioning in the sky, he guessed it wouldn't be long now, and he would really rather not sleep outside.

* * *

><p>Pain engulfed Kili's side, burning and overpowering even the pain from his broken ankle so he could think of nothing else. He gritted his teeth and gazed through tear filled eyes up into his brother's face, as Fili glanced down with just as much pain in his expression as Kili felt, and a weak smile passed between them. No matter what went wrong from here, they still had each other and that was all that mattered.<p>

According to Tauriel, they were nearly at the palace of Thranduil, but to Kili it wasn't close enough. The sooner they arrived, the better. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold on for; it was as if he could feel the Orkish poison seeping through his veins, dragging him down into a world of agony. He was holding onto reality by the tips of his fingers and the only thing keeping him from falling into the chasm was his brother being there and telling him every few seconds that everything was going to be all right if he could just hold on a bit longer...not much further...

It was too much. Unable to hold on any longer, Kili felt his grip on reality slacken, the tendrils of darkness beckoning so irresistibly, and he was plummeting down, down into the depths of his own mind, where he could block out the pain of his useless, broken body and have sweet, everlasting nothingness. Never again would he have to face the harsh snowstorms of winter, the biting chill of a particularly frosty morning in the Blue Mountains, or the relentless rains of early spring. Never again would he endure the unyielding, scorching summer sun of the high mountains, or the growing darkness of autumn days just like these, leading up to Durin's Day, the day on which his uncle would reclaim Erebor and twelve dwarves would get their home back.

He would not be there to see that. He would not see the rumoured glory of what should have been his home. He would not be there to see his uncle Thorin reign in his rightful place as King under the Mountain. He would not live in comfort and harmony as a Prince of Erebor. If, after many long and prosperous years, Thorin died of old age, Kili would not be there to see Fili be crowned King. He would never know if his brother ever married, or had children. He would not be able to play the reckless and daring uncle, egging his nephews and nieces to participate in ever more daring tasks, all within the safety and security of his brother's kingdom. His brother's future was brighter than ever from Kili's vantage point of never ending darkness, but his future, on the other hand, ended here.

* * *

><p>"Tauriel," Fili said sharply, halting in his tracks. The gate was in clear sight, but his bright blue eyes, filled with sudden fear, lay on his brother, "he's stopped breathing,"<p>

The fiery haired elf turned around sharply at his words, face mirroring Fili's own. She was by his side in less than a second, feeling the forehead of Kili's limp form, then pressing her fingers to his neck to feel for a pulse with no little worry.

"His heart's still beating," she informed Fili, "barely. Put him down, I'll try to wake him,"

As Fili laid his brother on the soft turf near Thranduil's palace, Tauriel turned to call to their other companion.

"Legolas, fetch your father. Quickly!" The desperation in her voice was evident, and the blond elf gave a curt nod and ran up to the gate immediately, trying to push it open.

"It's locked!" came the words that Tauriel had been dreading.

Incessant pounding followed, mixed with a few choice curses from the Prince, but still the gates did not yield, and Fili's expression was growing more and more panicked as none of Tauriel's efforts seemed to rouse his dying brother. Kili lay as lifeless as ever, though his heart still beat, and his face, deathly pale, held an expression of anguish which made Fili want to scream and run and kill something, preferably an orc or a giant spider. He couldn't bare seeing his brother slip away before his eyes; Kili had to wake up! Pushing Tauriel aside a little too roughly, he brought his face up to Kili's and spoke firmly.

"Kili, listen to me. Wake up, Kili. You're not dying,"

When there was no response, Fili took his brother's face in his hands and shook it gently. Then he raised a hand, and before Tauriel could stop him, slapped Kili hard across the cheek.

"YOU'RE NOT LEAVING!" he shouted, loud enough to wake the dead, "YOU'RE NOT ABANDONING ME BROTHER! WE DO STUFF TOGETHER, REMEMBER? WE DO EVERYTHING TOGETHER, AND NOW YOU'RE LEAVING ME? YOU'RE GIVING UP NOW, AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN THROUGH? EVEN - EVEN - even after all this?"

Fili's voice cracked on the last sentence, as sobs refused to be held back any longer and he dissolved onto his brother's limp shoulder.

"You can't go without me, brother," he whispered through choked hiccups, "when we go, we'll go together, and if you go now, I'm... I'm following you,"

* * *

><p>Legolas sprinted round yet another corner, knowing that time was short. He had called to Tauriel that he was going to try and get into the palace through a secret entrance he knew, but he didn't think the head of Mirkwood Palace Guard had heard him. He was just coming up to the hidden door when he was halted in his tracks as he ran headlong into an unseen obstacle. It felt soft as his knees made contact with it, but as he tumbled head over heels and hit the ground hard on the other side, he realised that it must have been quite a large object that he hadn't seen at all. That was a worrying thought - he had always considered his eyesight rather good, and to think he had overlooked something so big, well, that didn't bode well for his mental sanity.<p>

Looking back around to the place where he had fallen, however, there was nothing in sight. Legolas blinked hard twice. Nothing was there; the way was clear. There was not a single thing that could have caused him to trip in the near vicinity. Then a thought struck him: maybe it was a living thing. That would make sense: it must have moved into his path at the last second, which explained why he didn't see it, and he had also thought he heard a grunt as he collided with it. Now it wasn't there for the simple reason that it had walked off again. Legolas cursed the ignorant beast under his breath as he stood up and wiped a trickle of blood from one of his grazed hands, picked up his bow from where it had fallen, and set off again at a run, never once bothering to look back.

Had he glanced behind him, however, he might have seen some movement of leaves on the forest floor, or a low hanging branch of a tree bend downwards as a small, invisible person used it to steady himself on his feet.

For Bilbo Baggins was quite shaken, to say the least. It's not every day that you are run into by someone twice your height going at full pelt, and the hobbit had been knocked right off his feet. After picking himself up and dusting himself off, checking to see that he was still wearing the ring and that it hadn't been knocked off on his fall, he took a moment to take in what had just happened.

An elf had run into him, that much he was certain of. He hadn't had time to see their face - why, if he'd had more time he would have got out of the way! - but logic told him that they must have come from inside the fortress. Which meant that there was an entrance somewhere back in the direction the elf had come from. Finally sure that he was on the right track, Bilbo set off with more purpose, the aches in his legs disappearing in his determination to find a way in; he would not fail Thorin and the company, and he would burgle Fili and Kili out of there if he had to spend a lifetime doing it.


	9. Chapter 9

_An extra long chapter just for you, since I got a lot of time to write this weekend and I love you all :)_

_This chapter is actually only 2 "scenes" long, but they're really long scenes, which I hope is an improvement. Scenes will be longer from now on, as the story will not move so fast any more, but I hope that you still enjoy it!_

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><p>Tauriel watched Fili with a mixture of pity and dread as silent tears cascaded down his cheeks, plopping one by one onto his lifeless brother. But that was wrong - Kili wasn't completely lifeless. His heart was still beating, however weakly, and his breaths were feeble and shallow but they were <em>there<em>. Tauriel couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when Kili had started breathing - maybe he had been breathing ever so slightly all along - but it gave her hope. And that was all she needed.

This turn of events, she was sure, had been caused by the Orkish poison from the gash in Kili's side. Fili didn't know about the poison yet, since she had been very careful to hide it from him by the river. She had known it would be too much for him to bear just yet. But now he needed to know, because there wasn't time to fetch Thranduil which left her as the only person who had a chance of healing it.

"Fili," she said sharply, and the golden haired dwarf raised his head to look at her, "open Kili's shirt. He has been wounded by a poisoned knife, and that is what has brought this on,"

Fili narrowed his eyes at Tauriel as he gently opened his brother's torn shirt to reveal the swollen ribs beneath. Slightly to the left of that began a long, foul gash, and as he laid eyes on it, Fili's eyebrows constricted in an expression of anguish and betrayal.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" he asked Tauriel sharply, the elf sitting solemnly the opposite side of Kili, eyes filled with sorrow.

"I had hoped to spare you the pain," she replied quietly. Fili's expression did not relax, however, but became immediately more intense.

"Spare _me_ the pain? Do you realise what he's going through? That wasn't your choice to make! I'm his brother, I have a right to know what's wrong with him!" All the tension pent up inside Fili burst out of him as anger.

"Calm down, you are not doing yourself any favours," commented Tauriel, more calmly than she felt, "we cannot wait for Thranduil any longer. I need to go and find herbs, will you be alright to stay with Kili?"

"Course, what do you think I am, a goblin?" Fili snapped sharply, then winced as the meaning of his own words hit him.

Tauriel, ignoring the last part of the dwarf's sentence, nodded and got to her feet, slinging her bow over her shoulder. Then, without a word, she turned and ran off into the forest. She knew where to go; she knew the nearest place to find every herb that had ever come in useful to her, and this was no exception. But time was running out, and as darkness drew near, she knew she was going to have to be fast. Very fast.

Alone at Kili's side, Fili had no more tears left to spill. Now he just stared blankly into his brother's face, willing him with all his might to wake up. He regretted what he'd said to Tauriel - after all, she was the one trying to save Kili, not him. He would be if he knew how - Mahal, he would do anything right now if it only meant that his brother would wake again - but he didn't know how, so he couldn't do anything, and he felt utterly useless.

He barely noticed a gentle pat on his shoulder as he sat unmoving by his brother's side. As it was, the pat was accompanied by a small cough, coming from not far above him. He looked up, but saw nothing. As he frowned, however, Bilbo suddenly appeared right before his eyes and dropped to his knees at Fili's side. Fili was so startled that Bilbo was actually there at all that he didn't question the hobbit's abrupt appearance. Anyway, he had a feeling it had something to do with the way he had disappeared in the palace, when he had forgotten to lock them back in their cells, and he was sure the whole truth would come out sooner or later so there was no hurry. Bilbo, on the other hand, did seem in a hurry.

"Goodness, what on earth happened?" The hobbit squeaked in anxiety. He couldn't stop staring at Kili, lying motionless on the ground.

"He was attacked by orcs," replied Fili flatly, his emotions too exhausted to make an appearance as he relayed what Kili had told him earlier when they had first found each other, "and now we can't get into the palace,"

"You can't get in either?" Bilbo asked, even though he had heard Fili perfectly.

"The gates are locked," confirmed the dwarf, "Legolas is trying to get in, but Tauriel fears he might not bring his father in time, so she's collecting herbs to heal Kili,"

"He will get better then?" questioned Bilbo uncertainly, trailing off as he saw the look on Fili's face. Changing the subject, he then asked, "isn't Legolas the Elvenking's son? Why is he helping?"

"He isn't doing it for our sake," Fili replied truthfully, puzzling over the question slightly, but glad to have his mind taken off Kili for a while, "he seems pretty devoted to Tauriel, so that could explain why he's helping her, but as for why he hasn't finished me off by now, I have no idea. We didn't exactly get off to a great start,"

"Oh, I didn't suppose he would kill you," exclaimed Bilbo, "I was merely wondering why he came out here in the first place. I think you underestimate the elves, master Fili, they are not that bad!"

Fili shrugged, then said, "their King is. But you're right, the rest aren't bad, really. Tauriel did just save Kili's life," _for however long it lasts,_ he added mentally.

"Who's Tauriel?" inquired Bilbo.

"Another elf. She went looking for Kili then rescued him from orcs, tended his wounds and is right now searching for herbs to heal him,"

"Seems you owe her quite a lot then," chuckled Bilbo.

Fili nodded, "Thorin won't be too happy about that,"

"Ah, about Thorin," the hobbit said reluctantly, "I'm afraid the others are not here any more,"

"What? Who aren't where?" Fili's head whipped round to look at Bilbo in the face.

"They had to get out before the elves noticed you were gone," Bilbo said apologetically, "there was a battle with the orcs, then they had to continue downstream. Right now they are probably in Lake Town,"

The dwarf took a moment to comprehend this, his expression torn, then he looked down at Kili and sighed.

"It's probably for the best," he admitted, "we're not going anywhere anytime soon. But wait, why are you still here? Why didn't you go with them?"

"I stayed behind to fetch you," replied Bilbo, "I was going to wait until you came back then bring you down to Lake Town, but it looks like that's not happening now,"

"No," agreed Fili, "I will stay here with Kili for as long as it takes for him to get better, and if that means we never reach the Lonely Mountain, then so be it,"

Bilbo sighed, knowing there was nothing else for it. "I guess that leaves me to tell the company, then?"

"What, go to Lake Town on your own?"

"What would you have me do instead?"

"You could always just stay here. We could send an elf messenger or something," Fili argued, not eager to see Bilbo leave so soon after finding him.

"For one, do you think the Elvenking will waste a messenger on dwarves? Secondly, how do you think Thorin will respond to an elf telling him that his nephews are staying in Mirkwood for a while? Do you think he'll believe them, or think the elves are holding you captive?" Bilbo pointed out firmly.

The dwarf's face fell as he tugged absentmindedly at one of his moustache braids. He knew Bilbo was right, but he still didn't want to see the hobbit go. Right then, however, the tall figure of Tauriel appeared through the trees and, just like that, Bilbo vanished, but not before he whispered to Fili:

"I'll hang around a bit longer if you want. I doubt Thorin will mind a short delay for his nephews' sake,"

Fili smiled slightly at this, feeling just a little bit more secure now he knew the hobbit had his back. It was a small thing, but it made all the difference. So, when Tauriel kneeled the other side of Kili and brought out a small pouch she had filled with an assortment of leaves, he sat back without a word and watched the elf work.

There was something oddly relaxing, Fili found, in watching Tauriel's hands moving methodically over his brother, now applying something to his wound, now passing her hands over his head with a sort of low murmuring chant. Every moment he was anxious to see any change at all in Kili, but he felt a kindling of hope inside him knowing that his brother was in safe hands.

As the light faded, however, so did the hope Fili had first felt at Tauriel's return. The longer his brother lay unmoving and barely alive, the less likely it was that he would ever wake again. Legolas had not returned either, and the darkness was closing in so fast that if he did not get back soon he would not be able to find them in the dark. Fili could not help wondering if the Prince of Mirkwood had indeed abandoned them to their fate.

As his shoulders hunched over with the weight of these thoughts, however, Fili felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He did not look up; he knew he would see nothing there, but it was comforting nonetheless to know that Bilbo was still beside him and would be for as long as he needed him.

* * *

><p>There was no way in. Legolas had checked every single hidden entrance he knew of - and there were many - but not a single one had been left open. His father had locked every one of them, even one that Legolas had been sure his father didn't know about but apparently he did. There was still hope though: he hadn't tried the wine cellar. He knew it was a ridiculous idea that anyone could go in and out through the trap door that was meant for sending wine barrels down the river, and it would be hard to prise it open from the outside, but it was the only option he had left.<p>

He turned back the way he had came, back towards where the forest river ran out of the palace, setting off at a light jog. He didn't feel tired yet, but he knew fatigue might still overtake him later when the adrenaline wore off.

Going at a fair pace, it didn't take Legolas long to reach his destination, but he paused when he got there, just like he had when he had passed it before, and took another look around. The dead bodies of orcs lay scattered down the riverbank, no one having bothered to clear them, and every so often there was also the body of an elf, slain by the creatures his father had so stubbornly ignored.

Eyes hard and emotionless, he counted the number of dead elves he could see: five of them, in total. There were probably more downstream. He had known this would happen, but his father hadn't listened to him. He could have stopped this; he could have argued harder, not given in so easily to his father's cold refusal to acknowledge danger when it stared him in the face. He should have summoned the guard himself, gone out to meet the orcs in battle fully prepared. Tauriel's guard were well trained, skilled warriors, there was a chance none of them would have died had they been ready.

How many had he known by name? He was well acquainted with several of Tauriel's guard, then knew a few more by sight. The rest he hadn't had the chance - or perhaps hadn't been bothered - to learn the names of, and now that guilt weighed on him like a felled tree. They were all loyal, worthy, honourable subjects who hadn't deserved to die like this. Tearing his eyes away from the scene of horror, Legolas drew an arrow from his quiver and prepared to lever open the hatch.

It was too high up even for him to reach when stood on the ground by the small waterfall, but he could easily climb the rocks to the side of it. Arrow still clutched in his hand, he leapt nimbly upwards until he was high enough to easily reach the wooden planks above him. With all his force, he drove the arrow upwards into the wood, getting a good stick, and pulled it down hard.

The trap door was heavy, so it didn't come straight away, and Legolas worried for a moment that his arrow would come unstuck before it moved, but sure enough it came down just a crack - enough to latch onto with his fingertips and pull harder. Slowly and tediously, the trap door opened enough for him to swing his leg up and roll onto it, holding on for all he was worth as it still swung downwards and threatened to tip him off.

He had yanked the arrow out from underneath the planks as he swung up onto it, and now he used it to keep himself from sliding back down the plank and into the water by sticking it firmly into the wood above him and holding onto it with both hands. Taking another arrow from his quiver with his right hand while holding onto the first with his left, he used the grip on the soles of his shoes to push himself a little upwards and simultaneously swung his right arm up to dig the second arrow into the wood just above the first. Then he proceeded to free the first arrow and repeat the action again and again, until little by little he inched his way up the trap door.

By the time he reached a point where he could lean to the side and grab hold of the solid floor above him, it was completely dark outside. As he ran through the palace he knew he was taking too long - the injured dwarf could well be dead by now - but he had found a way in and if, by some miracle, the dwarf was still alive, he wasn't going to stand by and let him - Kili, wasn't it? - die after all he'd been through. Despite his general disliking for dwarves, and his mixed feelings for Fili, Legolas could see that Kili was young, even by dwarf standards, and didn't deserve all the suffering that had been heaped upon him. Just like all those elves didn't deserve to be killed by orcs in battle. Legolas had been responsible for enough deaths today, he wasn't going to add a dwarf to the list.

Before he reached his father's chamber, however, Legolas almost ran straight into a guard that he recognised as Tauriel's second-in-command. The guard - Rúthen, if he remembered correctly - turned to him in surprise.

"I thought you were locked out?"

Legolas ignored the lack of the formality, but replied, "I found a way in. Sorry, I'm in a rush. Anything urgent I should know about?"

Rúthen thought for a moment, then grimaced.

"Well, the dwarves escaped through the wine cellar and down the river while we were being attacked by orcs," he said, "then the King got angry and ordered the gates to be locked. He thinks the orcs will attack again,"

Thanking Rúthen courteously and sprinting off again, Legolas didn't show in his face the turmoil that was going on inside him at these two small pieces of information. The guard had said the dwarves had escaped: that meant that Fili and Kili were left behind, and their kin would have no idea where they were or what was happening to them. He supposed he shouldn't really care about what the dwarves knew, he just knew that if he were in their place he wouldn't leave without two members of the company. There was a chance they would backtrack to search for a Fili and Kili, but then again, they didn't know where to find the young dwarves so the chances they had done that were slim. More likely they had gone on to Lake Town and left their two youngest - Thorin's nephews, if he assumed correctly from the little information he had gathered from Fili in the forest - at the mercy of Mirkwood. On the other hand, they were dwarves. It was impossible to guess the minds of that folk, unless it came to gold.

The other thing that bothered him was that his father had locked him out. His own father had been so angry that he had locked his son out of the palace and left him to his fate. And Tauriel - his father had known she was missing too. Legolas knew from experience how long his father's tempers could last, and it didn't bode well for what he was about to request of him.

Finally, the guard had said his father thought the orcs would attack again. He himself doubted it - the sheer number of dead bodies he had seen by the river meant that the orcs had certainly had a large chunk taken out of their army and unless they were in far greater numbers than he realised they would be in no position to even think about another assault. On top of that, if the orcs had been after the dwarves like his father had suspected, they would surely have seen the dwarves escaping and would realise it was pointless to attack the palace again.

That didn't rule out the option that there were orcs around though. Some were sure to have survived the battle and be wondering around in the wilderness, lost or looking for trouble. If any ran into Tauriel and the dwarven brothers, he could only hope Tauriel would hear them soon enough to be prepared. He wasn't sure how eager the Head Guard would be to lend Fili a weapon - if she even had a spare with her - and it would be twice as hard if they were trying to protect Kili at the same time.

Legolas was so engrossed in his thoughts that he almost ran straight into the heavy wooden door that lead to his father's chamber, but he realised where he was just in time to skid to a halt and knock hard three times. While he waited for the door to open, he decided that Tauriel was good enough to make short work of any small band of orcs that came her way and he needn't worry about her or the dwarves. Then the door opened, and though he had dismissed his third fear, his second was now coming true.

Thranduil's face was nothing if not livid. Legolas even took a small step backwards, as if the piercing glare would not reach him if he was a little further away from it. Knowing it was no use just standing there, and realising his father was not going to speak first, he spoke up, his voice coming out rather smaller than he had expected.

"Father, I need you to come with me, it's urgent. Tauriel found an injured dwarf in the forest and he's going to die if you don't save him,"

"A dwarf?" scoffed Thranduil with an icy laugh, "after all the trouble they've caused me, do you think I'm going to go running into the forest to save one?"

"Please father," began Legolas, "he's just outside the front gate -"

"No. I will not stoop to helping one of that race,"

"Dwarves are still people!" Legolas exclaimed, shocked that his father was letting the division between the races affect his judgement in such a life threatening situation, "if it was an elf out there, you wouldn't hesitate to save them,"

"But it is not an elf, it is a dwarf," Thranduil replied coolly, "I do not offer my aid to dwarves,"

"He's going to die!" cried the Prince in anger, "you're just going to let him die because of some stupid old quarrel that he had nothing to do with? By the looks of him he's not even a century old, and his brother's with him, and you're just going to walk away? HE WAS TORTURED BY ORCS! Surely that entitles him to some sympathy at least? But no, he's a dwarf, so you're going to leave him to die. Because you have some ridiculous grudge against anyone with a beard. Sweet Eru, he's not even got much of a beard yet!"

Legolas paused, out of breath but nowhere near finished as he watched his father's face became more and more enraged.

"That's right, be angry with me. Be angry because you were too blind to see that I was telling the truth when I said orcs don't have mercy on anyone. Your people _died_ because of it. Be angry because you are leaving a dwarf to die of wounds he never deserved in the first place and you are the only person who can heal him. Be angry with me, but not yourself, no, don't be angry with yourself because you're SO DAMN SELFISH!"

"ENOUGH!" Bellowed Thranduil, causing Legolas to jump backwards in shock. "That will be enough! Your impertinence, young man, is shocking and does you no favours. I have already given my final word on the matter. I will not question how you came to find a way in here when I personally ensured all entrances were barred, however I must request you to leave my presence immediately, as I have important business to attend to and it strikes me that you are in need of sleep. Perhaps you will be of sounder mind tomorrow. Goodnight!"

With that, Thranduil slammed the door in his son's face, leaving Legolas standing outside and feeling more furious than he ever remembered feeling in his life.

"I'LL TELL YOU HOW I GOT IN," he shouted through the locked door, "YOU DIDN'T LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKE - I GOT IN THE SAME WAY THE DWARVES GOT OUT. BUT TRUST ME, I'VE LEARNED FROM MY MISTAKE, I WON'T TRUST YOU TO MAKE ANY OF THE RIGHT DECISIONS AGAIN!"

Fuming, Legolas stormed away from his father's chamber and headed subconsciously towards the medical room. He knew what to do; for once his head was crystal clear, and he just had to trust that Tauriel had taken the initiative. Even with his father out of the picture, the Head Guard was one of the best healers he knew - her risky job meant it was foolish to be ignorant of the healing arts - and with the help of some other healers he was sure it was not beyond her ability to cure Kili.

As he ran, he reflected on some of the things he had told his father, and how much of it was true. He had never quite seen their argument with the dwarves in that light before, rather, he'd just accepted it and grown to dislike dwarves just as his father did. But now he came to think of it, they weren't really any different to his race, were they? They might be shorter and hairier and find pleasure in different things, but they also felt love, grief, happiness, fear, probably every other emotion that existed, in exactly the same way that he did. Their outwardly tough appearance didn't mean the loss of a brother would cut any less deep.

He reached the medical room in no time and arrived just as the head Healer, Túvel, was coming out of the door.

"Túvel, bring your best Healers and meet me at the front gate immediately," he told her with authority, "that is an order,"

"You do realise there has been a battle, your highness? I have no healers to spare right now," Túvel replied curtly, pushing past him.

"Then just bring one or two, Tauriel is out there with a severely wounded dwarf, she can heal him with a little assistance,"

Túvel regarded him for a moment, as if judging the gravity of the situation, then nodded.

"Very well, I will come with whoever I can spare, but do not expect miracles,"

Legolas smiled a little sadly and thanked the healer, then turned and sprinted back the way he had come. He did not expect miracles. That didn't mean he couldn't hope for them.


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews! I'm glad so many of you liked the Legolas bit, it was very enjoyable to write (and I had way too much fun with caps lock!) As I mentioned last chapter, things are going to be slowing down plot wise, but there is still quite a way to go yet I think. Anyway, I have a few more ideas that I want to fit in before the end! If you have any ideas of stuff you think should happen while they're with the elves, I am open to any suggestions too so let me know as a review or a PM, I would be delighted to hear them. Enjoy the chapter!_

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><p>Bilbo watched, invisible, from Fili's side as the healing process dragged on. The sky was dark now, but Kili had shown no sign of change whatsoever and he was beginning to fear the worst, when he was distracted by something at his side. Looking downwards, he realised with a shock that Sting was glowing in its sheath, but he was invisible so neither Fili nor Tauriel could see it. That meant orcs were nearby and they would not be prepared. He had to let them know about it as silently as he could, and without Tauriel suspecting that he was there, because now was not the time for questions and there was also a chance the orcs nearby did not yet know they were there, in which case a fight might be avoided by staying hidden.<p>

Then he realised Fili was completely unarmed, which certainly wasn't good if there was a chance of a fight. At the same time, he, Bilbo, had a sword, but no fighting skill whatsoever. Though Sting was barely a letter opener to Fili, Bilbo was sure it would be better than nothing, and suddenly he knew what to do.

Taking Sting noiselessly out of its sheath, he laid it on the floor just in front of Fili, where Kili obscured it from Tauriel's direct line of sight so she wouldn't notice it first. Then he let go of it with his hand and immediately Fili saw it, picking it up and catching the attention of Tauriel, whose eyes widened in the faint blue light. Both of them knew what it meant.

Reaching silently for her bow and arrows, Tauriel muttered one last line of healing verse for Kili and all of a sudden the young dwarf's eyes flew wide open. Fili dropped Sting at once and moved to look into his brother's face, but at that moment a ragged scream pierced the air, coming from none other than Kili himself. Bilbo could have smacked himself in the forehead at the bad timing, for though Kili's screams were loud they failed to drown out the heavy noise of footsteps coming towards them through the forest, and the sound of most unwelcome voices.

Fili was spending most of his effort trying to hold Kili down to stop him thrashing about and injuring himself more, so Bilbo supposed it was up to him to wield his sword after all. Tauriel was already on her feet, bow strung, arrow pointing into the darkness that seemed to swirl around them like a cloak. He took up a position the opposite side of the dwarves to Tauriel, so they would be protected from both sides, but thankfully it was from Tauriel's direction that the orcs came.

The heavy darkness did not seem to bother the elf at all as her bow hummed again and again, and as Bilbo swung his sword randomly and hoped for the best he supposed that, in his case, fighting in the dark wasn't much different to fighting in the light - at any rate, it mostly came down to luck.

It was over seconds after it started, the already battle weary orcs being no match for Tauriel's skill, speed and keen eyesight which meant she could shoot a bulls eye even when the only light was that of the moon above, hidden behind clouds and obscured by branches overhead. Bilbo was invisible, so his sword and the glow that went with it were only visible to himself. This put him at an advantage, but in the end he only managed to kill one orc before Tauriel had finished off the rest.

When all six orcs lay dead on the ground and Bilbo's sword had stopped glowing, both elf and hobbit turned their attention back to the dwarves on the ground. Kili was still struggling and yelling at the top of his voice, but there weren't any words so Bilbo could only guess what was going on in his mind.

"Help - me - hold - him!" gasped Fili in between blows as his brother lashed out, "he doesn't know where he is!"

"Or he's in pain," replied Tauriel grimly, "most likely both. I have a plant here that has a numbing effect, it might relieve some of it,"

"Whatever works," Fili told her, as he felt his heart break again and again with every scream that came from his brother's mouth.

"Look, the gates are opening!" cried Bilbo, completely forgetting that he was invisible and that Tauriel had no idea he was there.

The elf didn't comment but gave Fili a quizzical look as she passed a torn up leaf underneath Kili's nose. The younger dwarf slowly began to calm down, crying out less and less, until he at last fell silent, chin quivering and eyes wet with tears. Fili made a strangled noise of relief and let go of his brother's shoulders to slide both arms beneath him and lift him into the air like a child, holding him close as Kili began to sob quietly into his shoulder.

The three elves who approached them through the gate were only half visible in the darkness, but from the way the foremost one's hair gleamed paler than the rest Fili assumed it was Legolas. As they drew closer he was shown to be correct.

"Is your father with you?" came Tauriel's voice from beside him, the worry in it evident.

A shadow passed over the Prince's face, visible even in the dim light.

"He would not come," replied Legolas, "but I have faith in you. Bring Kili to the medical room, I have gathered these healers to assist you,"

"Me?" exclaimed Tauriel, taken aback.

"Of course you," frowned Legolas, "you're one of the best healers I know, and don't argue with that because it's true. Has he shown any change?"

The Prince now turned to Fili and Kili, though he still addressed Tauriel.

"I managed to wake him, but he was in pain so I have given him a strong herb to numb the pain until the poison can be drawn out," replied Tauriel.

Legolas nodded, knowing he was right to have faith in the Head Guard, then beckoned for Tauriel and Fili to follow him and the healers back inside. As they walked, Tauriel whispered to Fili:

"You're going to have to explain about that vanishing sword later,"

"If I told you it was invisible hobbit, would you believe me?" replied Fili with a small grin.

Tauriel's eyebrows shot up, but she didn't confirm or deny it. Then they were into the palace and heading down twisting corridors until, quite suddenly, they reached a small medical room with three beds, a sink and cupboards lining the walls. It wasn't too far from the front gate for the reason that injuries usually happened outside so it was more convenient for quick access.

One bed had been prepared, thanks to Túvel's extreme planning and organisation, which Fili laid his brother carefully onto. He saw Kili relax immediately on the soft sheets, but knew from what Tauriel had told him that it would not be long before the anaesthetic wore off and his brother would be back to a world of pain and torture. The healers had to act quickly.

And that they certainly did. Each one seemed to know exactly what to do and was doing it with speed the like of which Fili had never seen. While one of them stripped Kili's top half and threw his dirty shirt and Fili's cloak into a pile, another had brought a wet cloth and was gently dabbing at the raw side of Kili's face. Then the first was preparing a pungent smelling concoction in a little clay pot, and Tauriel herself had shed her outer cloak, scrubbed her hands until not a singe grain of dirt remained, and rolled up her sleeves to prepare for the healing.

Dimly, Fili realised someone was trying to move him towards a bed next to Kili's, but he shrugged off the elf's grip, determined to be at his brother's side. As he took Kili's hand in both of his own, he felt someone tugging again on his shoulders to get him to move aside, but thankfully Tauriel spoke up at that moment.

"Let him stay there, he's doing no harm,"

"He's tired, he should be resting," argued the healer.

"He won't rest until his brother is in the clear," replied Tauriel, "he'll be better off here than anywhere else,"

The healer didn't argue back at this, and Fili sent the Head Guard a grateful smile, knowing how much trouble she had just saved him. Kneeling at Kili's side, he laid his head on the edge of the bed and stared up at his deathly pale brother, clutching his hand as if it was anchoring him to the world while the healers moved around him. He was unaware of what they were saying any more, and all he could think about was the fact that Kili could still die. They might be safe from spiders and orcs, but poison still ran in his brother's veins, sapping away his life little by little, taking him further and further away from the safe shores of consciousness. Kili lay on the verge between life and death, barely breathing as Tauriel approached his wound with a concoction of a plant they called Athelas.

And then came the screaming. It was worse than Fili could ever have imagined. While his brother writhed in a dark world of pain, Fili felt every one of Kili's screams pierce him like a deadly sharp knife. He felt his heart break more times than he would have believed possible in those long minutes that he had to sit through, unable to do a thing while the healers moved like lightning and Tauriel never left Kili's side.

The minutes seemed to stretch by like hours as the young dwarf writhed and screamed, any anaesthetic the elves tried to give him apparently having no effect. If Kili died this night, Fili vowed he would not see the dawn. He wanted to close his eyes and block out all sound to his ears, to be once more at peace, which was something he hadn't truly felt ever since they had left their home in Ered Luin, but blocking out his own brother wasn't something he could even consider. They shared everything, from their bed back home to food rations to the beads they wore in their hair. Whatever his brother was going through, Fili would go through it too. He always had, and he always would.

Only once the heart rending cries had stopped, and his brother breathed evenly as if in a deep sleep, did he realise that while his left hand had been grasping his brother's, his right hand was also squeezing someone else's hand tighter than would be comfortable. He could feel from the size and shape that it belonged to no elf or dwarf. Knowing it would be too risky even to whisper to the hobbit with so many sharp eared elves in the room, Fili relaxed his grip then gave Bilbo's hand a small squeeze, knowing it could never convey the full extent of his gratefulness, but hoping it would be enough for the hobbit to understand his thanks.

As the elves slowly filed out of the room, Fili looked up and met Tauriel's eyes. His expression asked the question for him.

"He will live," confirmed the elf, a genuine smile crossing her fair features, "he is strong,"

"I know," Fili replied, allowing himself a moment of relief. The danger had passed, and Kili had pulled through. No one could ever question his brother's strength again.

"You should get some rest,"

"Huh?" Fili looked up abruptly, surprised to be addressed after thinking only of his brother for so long.

"I said you should try and get some rest. You've had a long day, and you can't pretend you've got through it entirely unscathed," Tauriel told him, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"No - wait, can't I stay here a little longer? Please?" Fili begged.

"Kili will not wake for hours yet. We gave him a sleeping draught. He will not come round in your absence," replied Tauriel, nudging the dwarf to get up.

"But -" started Fili, grappling for any excuse he could think of.

"You will not be leaving his side, the beds are barely two feet apart," Tauriel told him stubbornly.

With a sigh, Fili gave in and got to his feet, almost falling over again in tiredness and only staying up because Tauriel caught his shoulder just in time. He took a couple of wobbly steps to the second bed, (which hadn't been made up with sheets or pillow but consisted of a plain mattress on a wooden frame) and slumped onto it, boots and all. He was asleep even before the elf had finished pulling his muddy boots off his weary feet and laid a blanket over him.

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><p>Still as a statue, Legolas had watched all events unfold from his position in the far corner of the small room behind the third bed, unnoticed by anyone except Tauriel, who had not said a word about him being there nor made any move to shoo him away. He just needed time, that was all. Time to sort through his emotions and to fully take in all that had transpired in this very long day. One thing was for sure: it would be a while before he talked to his father again.<p>

But there were also things that he hadn't known for sure. He hadn't been sure whether Kili would survive, for example. Had he been too late? Had his father already condemned a young dwarf to a horrible death simply by shutting the palace gates? Who would be responsible for telling Thorin Oakenshield that his youngest nephew had died of a wound infected with orkish poison because the elves had been too late to save him? Such a message would surely prise open the rift of hatred between the two races even further. This wasn't just about saving a dwarf, it was about gaining the long term trust of the people that, should their mission succeed, would inhabit Erebor for generations to come.

That, however, had seemed to turn out well in the end, against all odds. Tauriel had confirmed that Kili would live. They would not have one (or possibly two) dead dwarven princes on their hands. Legolas had been well aware that if Kili died, Fili might well die of grief. It was not uncommon in his race for elves to pine away after their loved ones died, the idea of an eternity ahead of them and no return of the one they loved too much for them to bear. The bond between the brothers, as Tauriel had pointed out, was strong, stronger even than the bond he had seen between the twins Elladan and Elrohir when he visited Rivendell, and that was saying something.

All in all, he was severely rethinking his opinions of dwarves. He also realised that Tauriel had been unbiased from the start, and that annoyed him. He liked to be right about things, and often was, but this hadn't been one of them. _Maybe it runs in the family_, he thought miserably, thinking of all the bad decisions his father had made recently. _We really are no better than the dwarves when it comes to corrupted royalty_.

"Legolas," came a whisper barely loud enough for his sharp ears to catch, "come outside where we can talk louder,"

Tauriel indicated the two sleeping dwarves, and Legolas understood - they needed their rest more than ever, and she didn't want to disturb them. He came silently over the bare stone floor, and slipped out of the room after Tauriel, closing the door behind him.

"Tell me what's wrong,"

Legolas sighed, knowing there was no keeping secrets from the elf he had been friends with since childhood.

"My father wouldn't come," he replied, "he wouldn't help. He was going to leave Kili out there to die,"

Tauriel's eyebrows constricted, concerned for the Prince, as she knew his relationship with his father meant a lot to him, no matter how removed he pretended to be.

"I shouted at him," continued Legolas, "I told him he was selfish and blind. He didn't listen. Then he slammed the door in my face,"

"Where is he now?" She asked carefully.

Legolas shrugged. "Probably still locked in his chamber,"

Tauriel nodded. If it was one of Thranduil's tempers, a rare but stressful occurrence, he would likely not come out for several days, and no one would interrupt that. She remembered one time when Elrond had criticised the King of Mirkwood for the way he ruled his kingdom and Thranduil had stayed in his chamber for nearly a fortnight, only emerging when her own second-in-command had blocked off his private supply of water to the room, forcing an early reappearance of their King. He had been in no better mood than when he had gone into solitude in the first place, and shortly afterwards issued an order for her whole band of warriors to go on a long expedition to the south of Mirkwood to investigate rumours of darkness lurking there. That had been before the evil things had started creeping northwards, before they had ever known how much trouble would be caused by the things that they hadn't managed to find on that long ago mission.

"What are you going to do now?" Legolas asked her, bringing her sharply out of her reminiscing.

"Me? I'm going to find the rest of the guard. I realise they've been in a battle and those who aren't injured are probably shaken, but we need to establish patrols round the perimeter in case there are any more attacks, though I highly doubt that the orcs will try again," she replied.

"I saw Rúthen near the top staircase if that helps," supplied Legolas, "but don't forget to give yourself a break. Your shift this morning started before dawn, you deserve some sleep,"

"How do you know when my shifts are?" Tauriel eyed him suspiciously, "and thank you, but don't worry about me, I will get some rest once everything is sorted out and running smoothly again. You should get some rest yourself, you look as if you need it,"

Legolas shook his head. "I can't, and anyway, someone should keep an eye on the dwarves in case one of them wakes,"

Tauriel raised her eyebrows almost undetectably, reading between the lines of Legolas's seemingly simple statement.

_I can't go to my chamber because it's too close to my father's and I would have to walk past too many people with questions and I need some peace to be alone with my thoughts because they're driving me to wit's end and I'm also worried for the dwarves so I think it would be best if I stay here._

"I understand," replied Tauriel, "come and find me when Kili wakes,"

The Prince nodded, then turned and noiselessly re-entered the small healing room where the dwarven brothers lay sleeping. He did not hear Tauriel retreat down the passage behind him, but as soon as she was gone he felt suddenly alone, despite the raucous snores that now echoed round the room. All the better - he had plenty to think about.

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><p>For the first time in way too long, Bilbo let himself relax, his hand only slightly sore from where Fili had held it in an iron grip. Kili slept soundly, peacefully and without disturbance, and that was all that mattered. He had been so sure, for several long moments after the youngest Durin had finally become silent, that Kili was dead and gone, gone to a place where he could not return from. It was only once he saw the steady rise and fall of the young prince's chest and felt Fili's grip relax on his hand that he realised that Kili was in fact alive, and would in fact recover, given time, medicine and plenty of patience.<p>

All the elves had left the room, but he could still faintly hear two of them talking the other side of the closed door and he knew it was unlikely the elves would leave two dwarves in a room completely unsupervised, even when said dwarves were fast asleep. That gave Bilbo just a little time to find somewhere comfy to lie down, for he didn't expect that he would be able to stay awake much longer himself. While he couldn't move any type of bedding around without a risk of being noticed, he felt too weary to care so in the end he simply rolled underneath Fili's bed, directly beneath the source of the snores that reverberated off the walls, and fell fast asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

_Sorry guys, it's only a short chapter today, as I haven't had much time to write and edit and stuff over the last three days but since it's the weekend and I feel guilty for not posting a longer chapter, I promise I will post another (short, sorry!) chapter tomorrow. Morning. Which means in some parts of the world that will be today. I hope that satisfies your hunger!_

_Another reason why this is a short chapter is because the next scenes are so long they are taking up whole chapters and it is hard to find a good place to cut off, so in fact this chapter is entirely Tauriel POV. Sorry to anyone who is holding out for more of the other characters, tomorrow I promise!_

_I also felt the need to introduce more elvish characters, because, I mean, it would be a bit dull if Tauriel, Legolas and Thranduil were the only elves to live in Mirkwood. This means that more of the Mirkwood Palace Guard will be coming into this story (if only briefly) and of course Tauriel's second in command who Legolas ran into previously. I thank the elvish name generator on the internet for the names, and I don't care what you think of the characters I invented because it was fun inventing them._

_Sorry for the extra long author's note, and sorry again for the shortness of this chapter, I hope you enjoy it anyway :)_

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><p>"Rúthen!"<p>

The dark haired elf looked up from sharpening the points of his arrows to see the leader striding towards him across the wide hallway, looking slightly more tired than usual but none the worse for wear.

"Tauriel! I saw you come in, where have you been all day?"

"Searching for a dwarf. I found out that one of the band that we captured was dragged away by a spider just before we surrounded his kin,"

"You found him then?"

"Yes, he's asleep in one of the healing rooms right now,"

"I thought I saw two dwarves when you came back though, one looked half dead,"

Tauriel shuddered, "more than half. He was lucky to still be alive at all at that point, and he's even more lucky to still be alive now, but he will recover in time. The other dwarf you saw was his brother,"

Rúthen nodded pensively. "They are the only dwarves left here any more. The ones who escaped are quite possibly in Esgaroth by now,"

"So I heard," replied Tauriel, "we will send a message to Thorin as soon as they wake up. They must write the letter themselves or their companions will be suspicious,"

"If the King agrees," pointed out Rúthen.

"The King is locked in his room like a sulking child, he will not be giving any orders for a while I am sure," replied Tauriel.

"Oh yeah, I'd forgotten," replied the second-in-command, "shall I go cut off the water?"

"_NO!_" exclaimed Tauriel, "remember last time you did that he sent us on a death mission?"

"It wasn't a death mission, none of us died,"

"Only because you sprained your ankle so we had to turn back before we reached the real danger," Tauriel reminded him, "I was seriously considering dismissing you after that,"

"What! Why would you do that?" Rúthen asked in mock horror.

"Because good warriors don't fall off their horses by forgetting to duck under an overhanging branch," Tauriel couldn't help but grin a little. Rúthen had always been her most faithful, talented and spirited member of the guard and he had certainly earned his position enough times. She could forgive one small mishap which might have just saved all their lives.

Rúthen laughed, then tossed a sharpened arrow aside to begin on another.

"You wouldn't dismiss me, I just stood up to the King Under the Mountain and lived to tell the tale,"

"Does that mean you faced the dwarves but didn't manage to recapture them? I'm disappointed,"

The guard laughed dryly this time, "they were armed with orc weapons by that time and weren't going to come peacefully. They also outnumbered us by one,"

"That means -" Tauriel quickly did the maths in her head, "that means there were only ten of you. Why on earth didn't you take more?"

"It was all I could round up," replied Rúthen, a little more solemnly now, "most of our warriors were already engaging the orcs, and I don't have your authority,"

"Oh," was all Tauriel could say. When she had left for the forest she had known she was taking a risk abandoning her guard, and she had counted on nothing bad happening while she was out. But bad things had happened - namely the orcs - and she hadn't been there to lead her group confidently into the fray, so they'd had to do their best without a leader. She didn't know if she wanted to find out how many had died.

"If you're wondering how many we lost, the answer is: more than we should have," her second-in-command said quietly, seeming to guess what was on her mind, "we were unprepared for the attack. No one saw it coming,"

Tauriel felt as if a lead weight had dropped in her stomach.

"You didn't know?" she asked, her brain suddenly working at half speed.

"No," replied Rúthen, "we were pursuing the dwarves when they came out of nowhere,"

"But no one warned you? No one told you there were orcs in the area?" The head guard's face had become pale.

"No one told us anything," Rúthen said worriedly, "well, the guards on the gate did say something about overhearing a conversation, but we paid them no heed at the time. They were too busy fretting over one escaped dwarf, I don't think they realised the rest had escaped too,"

"But I knew!" Tauriel suddenly looked right into Ruthen's grey eyes, her own filled with regret, "I saw the orcs in the forest and I sent Legolas back to warn you,"

"But - that means - but the Prince - oh by the Valar! He did come rushing back in just before all the dwarves escaped, but I didn't see what happened after that,"

"I need to speak to Legolas about this," Tauriel frowned, "I would very much like to know what went on after I sent him with that message. Meanwhile we need to establish a temporary patrol, just until everything's normal again,"

"Don't fret about that, it's already done," a smirk found its way across Rúthen's face, "I sent five guards to patrol the most strategic areas just after the gates reopened. They're going to swap around in two hours, I didn't want to make the shifts too long because we're all in need of some rest. Oh, and there are four small groups I sent to look for survivors on the battlefield too,"

Tauriel looked at her friend with new admiration in her eyes.

"I really couldn't ask for a better second-in-command, Rúthen. I don't know where I'd be without you,"

"Either long dead, or much better off than you are now. One of the two," Rúthen grinned as Tauriel turned and swiftly made her way back to the healing room where she had left Legolas.

Turning the last corner, Tauriel paused, hand poised to open the door. She did not know the answers she would get, but she could guess that Legolas's father had something to do with the lack of information her guards had received prior to the orc battle, and seeing how the prince's last talk with his father went, she knew it would be quite a sensitive topic to bring up. But she had to know what had gone wrong or she would forever be blaming herself for the death of her comrades. She knew there was a part of the blame that she could never shift from herself, but it would make her feel better to know if Legolas had at least tried to help, since she couldn't help but blame him heavily as well.

The door opened silently, but Legolas was aware of her presence from the moment it moved. He was sitting with his back to the wall on the far side of the room, but stood up as she entered and moved noiselessly across to where she stood in the doorway.

"Come out here, I need to talk again," she whispered as his face drew into an expression of worry and confusion.

Once the door had closed behind them and they were both standing in the passageway outside, Tauriel turned and looked Legolas straight in the eyes. While his shining blue orbs contained a mixture of puzzlement and anxiety, hers were filled with determination, sorrow and guilt.

"What is it?" he asked with a frown.

"Legolas, what happened after we met in the clearing?"

"The first time?" The Prince frowned more deeply, casting his memory back, "I came back here and - oh,"

"You didn't tell them about the orcs?" Tauriel asked accusingly.

"No! Yes! I mean - I did tell my father about the orcs," Legolas tried not to appear too flustered, but the fact was it still hurt him that his father hadn't believed him when he had been telling the truth. It hurt even more than his father slamming the door in his face after their argument, because it had been the first sign of distrust from his father, and it had been the very start of the crack that had grown so fast between them.

"What happened?" Tauriel pressed, and Legolas knew he must answer otherwise Tauriel would blame herself. He was aware of her tendency to take everything as her personal responsibility.

"He wouldn't listen," the Prince replied quietly, rage just beneath the surface of his carefully controlled voice, "He didn't believe me. He said if the orcs wanted the dwarves we would just - just hand them over, just like that. Give them to the orcs, and who cares if they die because the kingdom is safe. Who cares what happens to everyone else in the world, it doesn't matter as long as my father has his own little bubble of comfort, as long as he's not being bothered, as long as the orcs don't attack him. Oh yes, dwarves can die, they're only dwarves after all. Why should we care about dwarves? Why should we prepare for an attack when we can sacrifice a dozen dwarves and have none of our own die?"

"Legolas, stop!" Tauriel cried, reaching out a hand and grabbing Legolas's wrist to make him face her again, "stop working yourself up! You know your father well enough to know that he makes some bad decisions now and again, and that he holds onto grudges for way too long, and that he can be narrow minded when it comes to his kingdom. But he also cares for you, you know that. You're all he has,"

The Prince looked back up into the sincere eyes of his friend, and smiled, realising she had seen right through him. He wasn't worried about the dwarves - no, that was a lie, worry for the dwarves plagued his mind at every waking minute, but what plagued his heart was the fact that he had argued badly with his father twice in one day, and he was terrified that the rift that seemed to be growing between them might never be put right. His own views of the world were fluctuating and changing where his father's stayed straight and narrow. But if Tauriel thought it would all be alright, he wasn't going to argue with her.

"I'll take over watching the dwarves if you want to go talk to him," suggested the Head Guard.

Legolas paused, then shook his head, "not yet. I'll talk to him when he comes out of his own accord. I wouldn't want to make him angrier,"

"And you still have a lot to think about," smiled Tauriel, "alright, don't talk to him, but I'm staying in here. Go find some food or something, and remember everyone's counting on you to keep everything running smoothly while your father is out of action,"

"I don't have to, you take all the responsibility anyway," he chuckled, "and I forgot to ask, did you sort out patrols and suchlike?"

"Rúthen already did it, and sent out rescue parties to the battlefield," Tauriel replied.

"Good for him," the Prince replied, trailing off slightly at the end with a rather distant and slightly melancholy expression.

Tauriel looked at him, concerned. "What is the matter Legolas?"

He seemed to startle, then his eyes focused once again on his friend. "Nothing, it's just - I saw the battlefield. I got in through the wine cellar," he explained.

"The wine cellar? Túvel told me that was how the dwarves got out," Tauriel commented, not really wanting to talk about the battle, and knowing that Legolas didn't either.

"You'd think after the first time they would guard it more securely, wouldn't you?" Legolas raised his eyebrows with just a hint of a smirk.

Tauriel grinned, knowing that only Legolas and perhaps a crazy band of dwarves would think to use the trap door in the wine cellar as a way in and out of the palace, and that it would be ridiculous to even consider posting a guard there, then started to push open the door to the room where the dwarves lay.

"You go off and do something useful, I'll stay here tonight," she told him firmly, then turned her back as he nodded in agreement then raced off down the corridor behind her.

On entering the room, Tauriel immediately noticed that Fili's snores were not the only noises. Mutterings and groans were coming from the bed where Kili lay, and the young dwarf, though barely moving except for his head, had somehow managed to get the covers twisted around himself and seemed to be in a very uncomfortable position. Tauriel could only assume that Legolas had been too preoccupied to notice this.

Carefully adjusting the blankets so that they lay smoothly over Kili's bony form, she felt his forehead with one hand: too hot. The fever which Fili had noticed right back at the river was now in full fling and needed to be brought down before it reached dangerous levels. Luckily, this room, like all of the healing rooms, had a small tap with a pump so water was readily available and Tauriel took full advantage of it as she tore a strip of bandage from a pile on the table next to the basin and soaked it thoroughly before laying it on Kili's burning forehead.

Then she rummaged through the cupboards until she found the bottle she was looking for: a concoction of Túvel's own invention which could bring down a fever in a matter of hours. Finding a spoon and pouring out the medicine, she quietly whispered Kili's name until his eyes opened just a fraction, delirious and half asleep but conscious enough to meekly swallow the rather viscous but not entirely unpleasant medicine. Then his head fell back onto the pillow, and a few seconds later he was fast asleep.

The dwarf did not wake again that night, but Tauriel worked tirelessly for the next few hours, only drifting off into a sleep trance once or twice, until she noticed that there was a fine sheen of sweat along Kili's nose and realised that the fever had finally broken. With a sigh of relief, she settled herself against the wall where she could see both brothers in their beds, and fell into a light sleep trance for the remaining few hours of the night.

While she rested, Tauriel's thoughts lingered for a long time on the dwarves, Kili in particular. She barely knew him, and yet she had already been charmed by his manners and inspired by his determination and strength. There was so much she didn't know about him, but there had been one thing she had known from the start: he deserved to live. Now she had finally seen that through, despite breaking rules and disobeying orders, and though she still dreaded the inevitable wrath of her King she knew it had been the right choice.


	12. Chapter 12

_Here is the next chapter, as promised! Extra thanks to **jaymzNshed**, who managed to review in the approximately 11 hours between the last update and this! I also feel that I don't give my regular reviewers enough credit, as I am awful at responding to reviews, so I want to say a particular thank you to all these people who have been reviewing a lot (in no particular order): **Bookdancer, GregsMadHatter, Ximena 13, InezSophia, helicopter815, Syblime,** and **GuardianOfMusic27855. **Sorry if I've missed anyone off there, just give me a metaphorical kick and I'll mention you next chapter!_

_I know I said it would only be a short chapter, but I've realised this scene (yes, it's one scene long again) is the length of some of my previous chapters, so please enjoy! I have a lot of writing to catch up on now!_

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><p>Kili slept fretfully, tossing his head from side to side as his mind wandered in a world of twilight. His dreams all seemed to contain orcs or goblins of some kind, and none of them happened in open space, always in a cave or a forest, making him feel trapped and helpless. Often he would see Fili being tortured, other times it would be himself in the chains and his brother would be made to watch. Whenever he was being tortured, for some reason that he could not explain his torturers would always go for first his ribcage, then his left ankle. Several times he dreamed they had cut his foot off. But there was another figure in his dreams that he could never quite place, one that was always just out of reach, and every time he tried to look at her directly she would vanish like a trick of the starlight. She always shone like starlight. It was irritating, not being able to see or touch her, but her presence in his dreams was what kept him from crying out, from giving in to the pain, or from giving up hope. She was the shining beacon representing freedom.<p>

Slowly, he found himself drifting awake, the world a grey haze as he peeked drowsily through his dark eyelashes. It took him a while to figure out why everything hurt so much, and a moment longer to place where he was now. He groaned involuntarily, and a moment later he was staring up into a face.

She wasn't shiny. There was no haze of starlight following her around, she was just a normal person. A normal elf. Kili blinked a couple of times, then smiled, ignoring the protest of his aching face and letting himself give in to wonder. Miracles had happened, there was no question of that. Unless, of course, he was dead and this was the afterlife, which was quite possible, since though she was not shiny like how he had seen her last, the woman above him was so beautiful she looked like she could be from another world. His wounds, however, spoke differently; pain swamped his torso, and his ankle felt as though someone was trying to tear it apart with their teeth.

"How do you feel?" The elf was looking down at him with concern. He couldn't quite remember her name - he had been half dead when they had last spoken, and he realised now he could barely remember any of what had been said.

"Awful," his voice came out feeble and croaky, and suddenly his head gave a resounding throb.

The elf seemed to suddenly remember something, and disappeared before he could even blink, to return a moment later with a cup of water in her hand. He noticed with disappointment that it was only half full. He never remembered feeling thirstier.

"Drink this," she told him, and moved her other hand behind his back to help him sit up. He managed it, though not without much pain and effort, and allowed Tauriel - that was her name, he remembered suddenly - to help him tip the contents down his parched throat. Immediately he regretted it; the water was difficult to swallow and once he did so it seemed to swirl uncomfortably round his empty stomach making him feel slightly nauseous, though he managed to hold it down. He guessed that was why she had only given him half a cup.

As Tauriel lay him back down, he closed his eyes and tried to remember what had happened after he had been found. He could remember there being several voices, and then - Fili! How had he forgotten his brother? Fili had been there with him, had carried him, had told him to hold on just a bit longer until they reached the Elven palace, and then...then he had given up. A weight seemed to sink through his stomach as he remembered his last thoughts before he caved in to darkness. He had truly given up on all hope of survival, so sure it was the end for him, and he had accepted it and welcomed the oblivion, but somehow, miraculously, here he was alive. He had been healed. The only thing he remembered after the darkness was more pain, and how it had seemed to stretch on forever with no respite, but he supposed he had been brought here and had the darkness driven away by a healer. Later he would have to find out who it was so he could properly thank them.

"Where's Fili?" he asked, opening his eyes again.

"Right there," Tauriel nodded over to Fili's bed, where he lay snoring, "he refused to leave your side, but fell asleep barely minutes later. You've both been asleep for about eight hours, and it's nearly dawn,"

Kili smiled as he watched his brother sleep. "What about the others?"

Tauriel hid a grimace. She had hoped this moment would not come so soon. Looking back, she wondered how much Kili had been told by Fili, and how much of it he remembered, and decided it would be better to start from the beginning.

"All the other dwarves were captured by - well, me and my guards," she began rather guiltily, "my King wanted to know why you were all trespassing in the forest. We locked them up, but your brother practically begged me to go searching for you, so I did,"

She paused for a moment, still unsure of the finer details of Fili's escape so wondering how best to relay it to Kili.

"As far as I am aware, your brother managed to get out of his cell somehow and followed Legolas into the forest,"

"Legolas?" asked Kili, and Tauriel realised that he hadn't actually been introduced to the Prince.

"He's the Prince of Mirkwood, the King's son, and he came after me when I went into the forest. He and Fili tracked me while I tracked you, and they arrived shortly after I found you. But you asked about your friends. I'm afraid that after Fili escaped, they all managed to escape too through the trap door in the wine cellar. There was a battle, but the last that was seen of them was quite a way down the river, and there were eleven of them. I think we can presume that they are all safe in Lake Town by now,"

Kili supposed he should have been relieved that the rest of the company were safe and getting on with the quest, but he couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. He wanted them to know that he was safe, and that he and Fili would be catching up with them as soon as they could. Thorin would worry, he had known his uncle long enough to know how protective Thorin was over his kin, and he didn't want it to be over something unnecessary like his health. A dragon was enough to worry about.

He had also wanted to see them again. That was what disappointed him the most; without knowing it he had been looking forward to seeing every single member of the company again, but now that would have to wait for who knew how long.

"How long before I can get up?" he asked Tauriel, who he saw now had half an eye on Fili.

"Not for a while," she replied, casting him a wary glance as if disturbed that he would ask about getting out of bed while he was still so far from full health. Kili grinned inside. The elf had a lot to learn about dwarves.

"But when?" he persisted, sounding like a whining child but secretly enjoying it.

"It will be weeks before your ankle heals fully, but when you are strong enough, then you can try to walk with crutches. But the decision is not yours to make, you must wait until a healer permits it," Tauriel gave a small chuckle at the sulky frown which crossed his face, "don't pout, I think Fili is waking,"

Sure enough, the snores that had filled the room before were now dying down to be replaced by snuffles and creaks as the older brother rolled over in his bed, cocooned in his blanket, and opened his eyes to look straight at Kili. Realisation dawned on him suddenly as the events of the day before hit him with full force, and before Kili could blink, Fili was out of his bed and kneeling by his side.

"How are you feeling, little bro?" the blond asked, reaching up to stroke the dark brown hair tenderly from his brother's eyes.

"Been better," Kili replied honestly, pulling a face.

"You will be better," Fili told him earnestly, "Tauriel promised it,"

The younger brother just smiled and nodded, then completely suddenly both brothers moved at once. Kili threw his arms out from beneath the covers at exactly the same moment as Fili dived forward to embrace him. Kili didn't care that his ribs were screaming in protest at the crushing hug, because all he cared about was that Fili was there beside him and had been right all along, things were going to be ok - no, more than ok, things were going to be wonderful because they were together and they weren't ever going to let anything separate them ever again.

"Don't you ever do that again," Fili managed to choke out as he clung to Kili as if he might disappear any second.

Kili didn't reply but gave a sharp intake of breath as the long wound down his side gave a pang of discomfort, which didn't go unnoticed by Fili who pulled away sharply, blue eyes filled with guilt.

"I'm sorry - I forgot - I -"

"Forget it, it's nothing," Kili replied through clenched teeth as he waited for the pain to subside, "I guess I'm going to have to get used to it,"

"Don't say that," Fili scolded him, but more warily now, "you'll be better in no time, you'll see,"

Kili nodded, then screwed his eyes tight and took a few deep breaths. When he opened them again he smiled at his brother. Then he frowned as he realised he and Fili were alone in the room.

"Where did Tauriel go?" he asked, but Fili shrugged.

"I doubt she was going to stay here forever. She must have stuff to do. How long have I been asleep? Were you up long before me?"

"Tauriel said it's nearly dawn, and no, I wasn't up very long before you. I just drank some water," Kili replied with a shrug that turned into a wince, "but she said that everyone else - they're gone. They left without us,"

Fili nodded solemnly, "It's true, Bilbo told me they've gone to Lake Town,"

"_Bilbo!_ I knew I was forgetting someone!" exclaimed Kili, "what happened to him? Tauriel said eleven dwarves escaped, she didn't mention a hobbit. Have you seen him?"

"I'm right here," came a voice from behind Fili, then suddenly there was Bilbo, unusually unkempt and bleary eyed, but very much there.

"Good morning, master hobbit," said Fili good-naturedly, looking exceedingly pleased to see Bilbo and grinning from ear to ear.

"Shhh, keep your voices down," Bilbo replied in a hushed voice, "I don't want the elves knowing I'm here,"

"How in the name of the Valar are you going to hide from elves in a place crawling with them?" Kili remarked, "I mean, I know you're quiet, but one of them is sure to spot you,"

"Which brings me nicely onto my question for you," Fili cut across, "how do you do that disappearing thing? First you did it outside the cells, then again in the forest, and you were invisible when you held my hand last night. Do you have a secret power that you have been hiding from us?"

"Why were you holding his hand?" Kili asked off the topic.

"You were dying," Fili answered shortly, not quite hiding a waver in his voice.

"Oh," replied Kili. He had never meant to cause his brother pain, but they did always go through stuff together, there was no other way to do things as far as they were concerned. It hadn't occurred to him, however, quite how much his close encounter with death might have affected Fili. He decided then that he would do his best to hide how much pain he was in from his brother, as it wouldn't make anything better to have Fili worrying over him all the time.

A sigh came from beside him and he turned his attention back to Bilbo. Kili had had no idea that the hobbit could disappear at will, and to tell the truth, he was intrigued.

"I haven't told anyone about this yet, not even Gandalf," Bilbo began rather hesitantly, the looks on the dwarves' faces egging him to continue, "I found it in the goblin mines when I got separated from the rest of you,"

As the two brothers watched him eagerly, Bilbo reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. It glinted brightly as he held it between forefinger and thumb for them to inspect, and Bilbo watched in amusement as the brown and the blue eyes grew large in awe, but then the blue eyes narrowed, unconvinced.

"It looks like an ordinary gold ring to me," said Fili.

"Can ordinary gold rings do this then?" asked Bilbo, then he slipped the ring on and watched as the the brothers' faces turned from confusion to amazement and wonder. Bilbo slipped the ring back off and gave a neat little bow, grinning.

"Wow, that's -"

"I can't believe -"

"When did you -"

"Why didn't you tell us -?"

The hobbit held up his hands for silence and his audience hastily closed their gaping mouths.

"I didn't tell anyone because you didn't need to know," Bilbo explained, "but after everything you've both been through I thought it was only fair. After all, I plan to leave as soon as possible,"

"What!?" exclaimed Kili, trying to push himself up onto his elbows but soon giving up, already exhausted and resisting the urge to cry out as his ribs screamed internally. Fili reached across to grab the pillow from his own bed (the bedding having mysteriously appeared there overnight) and used it to prop up his brother a bit more as Bilbo continued, ignoring Kili's shocked expression.

"The rest of the company have gone to Lake Town and from there they will head on to the Lonely Mountain. I was meant to stay behind to burgle you out of here so we could catch up with them, but Kili can't get out of bed let alone travel - now, don't blame yourself Kili, none of this is your fault and you know it - and everyone else is very anxious to know if you're alright. I propose you write letters to Thorin and the rest of the company and I can go and deliver them. It's the only method of communication we have, after all,"

Fili took a while to consider this, remembering their previous conversation on this topic, then said, "you are full of good ideas of late, Bilbo; and if not good ones then practical ones. I can't think of a better idea, and I think it highly unlikely that any elf would stoop to being a dwarvish postman,"

"Very unlikely," agreed Kili, "and I don't think Uncle Thorin would take kindly to an elf delivering the message that we're imposing on the hospitality of the Elvenking. More likely he'll come storming back with an army from the Iron Hills,"

"Quite so," Bilbo put in, "and I asked them to wait awhile in Lake Town or leave someone behind to wait for us - or me, as seems the case, so I will not be alone for long,"

"That's settled then," confirmed Fili, taking authority on the situation, "now all we need is pen and paper,"

"I'm sure I can find some," Bilbo told them, "the elves must keep some around somewhere,"

A new voice joined in from the doorway, "there is a large supply of parchment in a cupboard near the treasury and there is usually a bottle of ink and a quill in every room - ah yes, just on top of that shelf there. And may I ask who your little friend is, and how he managed to sneak in so stealthily? For there was no one else in the room when I left it last night, and Tauriel did not mention any visitors when she passed me in the entrance,"

All three heads turned to the intruder, and the prince of Mirkwood moved further into the room, closing the door and frowning at Bilbo. The hobbit blanched, knowing there was no escape - he'd been caught.

"He doesn't bite!" Kili piped up faintly, earning a look from his brother which clearly said _nice try, but you're not helping._

Legolas, however, turned to Kili, distracted for the moment.

"Young one, you have no idea how much it relieves me to see you awake and recovering. I was scared we would lose you," he said, ignoring the suspicious expression of the older dwarf and gracing Kili with a smile.

Kili raised his eyebrows and looked to his brother for an explanation, but Fili was just as confused at Legolas's sudden lack of hostility.

"Um, thank you?" replied Kili, but the prince had already switched his attention to the smaller member of their little gathering.

"You are not of a race seen in these parts," Legolas addressed Bilbo directly, and the hobbit tried to avoid the elf's piercing gaze.

"I'm a hobbit, your royal highness," Bilbo replied rather squeakily, "my name is Bilbo Baggins,"

"You know my title," Legolas observed coolly, "you are certainly a curious character, master Baggins, and I would very much like to know how you come to infiltrate this palace,"

"I - I'm very quiet," Bilbo replied, hoping against hope that something random would just happen and save him from the awful scrutiny of the prince of Mirkwood.

"I see," the prince's gaze flickered down to Bilbo's bare and hairy feet, and the hobbit felt a moment's respite from the unwavering eyes.

"He's a friend," Fili pitched in, "he came with us even though this quest doesn't mean anything to him,"

"When you say 'this quest' I assume you are talking about the retaking of the Lonely Mountain?" Legolas switched his gaze over to Fili, who resolutely matched it with his own equally piercing blue eyes which he shared with his uncle.

"Yes," replied Fili firmly, "we will reclaim our homeland whatever it takes,"

"And a hobbit is what it takes?" asked the elf with raised eyebrows.

"If it wasn't for Bilbo we'd be long dead," Kili defended the hobbit with all the power he could muster in his voice.

Bilbo blushed, knowing it was a bit of an overstatement. He hadn't been anything but a burden in their whole journey so far; just another mouth to feed, another head to defend in battle, another annoying little opinion in the background. Really the only good thing he'd done yet was free them from the spiders and help the other dwarves escape down the river, and even then he hadn't been much use in the fight afterwards.

Legolas looked from dwarf to dwarf to hobbit, as if trying to make his mind up about something. Finally he spoke.

"Well master hobbit, consider yourself lucky. I will not inform my father of your presence, provided you do not cause any trouble,"

"What makes you think he's a troublemaker?" scowled Fili, but Bilbo cut in.

"I am exceedingly grateful, your highness," he said, not bothering to hide his relief that he wasn't going to be dragged off to a cell (not yet at least) and that there would be no more interrogation about his sneaking abilities, "I plan on leaving very soon, and I can assure you I will be no trouble whatsoever. You won't even know I'm here,"

"I suppose I can believe that," the Prince replied, "and there are a few pieces of parchment next to that ink bottle if you don't need many. Kili, Tauriel asked me to inform you she will return in an hour to change your bandages, and Fili, if you are hungry the kitchens are the opposite side of the entrance hall and the fourth door on the left. Just tell them I sent you,"

With that, Legolas turned and left, the last visible of him a strand of creamy hair disappearing around the door.

Once he was gone, all three looked at each other.

"Was that Legolas?" asked Kili.

"Yup, that's Legolas," Fili said, realising that Kili hadn't properly met the elf so couldn't be expected to remember him.

"Is he always like that?" asked Kili, and Fili shook his head.

"He was always strange, I'll give him that," he replied in bewilderment.

"If you ask me, I don't think it really matters right now," said Bilbo with a slight smirk, the fact that he had just been let off by none other than Thranduil's own son not lost on him, "now Fili, if you would be so good as to fetch down that parchment and ink, we can start on the letters immediately,"


	13. Chapter 13

_Thank you for all the lovely reviews, it's so great to hear your thoughts! It helps me plan out what I'm going to do next and encourages me to write faster, which means this will be finished faster. Keep the feedback coming! :)_

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><p>There was a lot to do, Tauriel knew, and not much time to do it in. Of course, the time restraints were of her own design: she could have given herself however much time she desired, but she also had an injured dwarf to return to. Once Fili had woken up, she had known the dwarves would be fine on their own for a short time, and had taken the opportunity to leave them in private and get some stuff done. Now she ran quickly along corridors, her feet automatically taking her lower and lower down the levels, until she reached the quarters of the Palace Guard.<p>

Without bothering to knock, she opened the door to the room which served as both office and cloakroom and abruptly came face to face with no less than eight of her team.

"Tauriel!"

"Rúthen told us you went looking for a dwarf!"

"You missed the whole battle!"

"I saw you return with the Prince,"

"Did you know the King has shut himself away again?"

"We're just about to swap shifts,"

"Is it true that the dwarf is an archer?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't do a watch yesterday, Túvel wouldn't let me,"

"Where have you been since you returned?"

Tauriel held up her hands for silence, and all the warriors quietened down immediately.

"I cannot stay here for long, I was merely checking that everything is in order and that you are all fit for duty. You are correct, I did miss the battle, though not by choice. There were more pressing matters I had to attend to,"

"The dwarf?" inquired one guard, and Tauriel nodded in confirmation but didn't go into detail.

"As for the King, I am well aware that he is in one of his tempers, but I believe we would do best to ignore it and continue as normal. We cannot afford to break down," she advised, and was met with nods. "You said you were just about to swap shifts, so don't let me get in your way. I appreciate all your courage and dedication, and I assure you it will not go unrewarded,"

She moved out of the way as her guards filed past her, some smiling, some giving a respectful nod. At the end, however, she held one guard back.

"Nienna, you're hurt,"

The female guard tried, too late, to hide her bandaged hand beneath her cloak, but Tauriel was too quick for her and faster than the eye could follow grabbed Nienna's right wrist so she could examine her friend's injury.

"It's nothing, please Tauriel, I'm fine,"

"No it's not, you shouldn't be on duty with an injured hand," the head guard replied firmly.

Nienna rolled her eyes, "I'm ambidextrous, I can still wield a sword,"

"But not a bow and arrow," Tauriel pointed out.

"A sword is better in close range combat," argued the guard.

"A bow is better to take out your opponents before they even see you," countered Tauriel.

"Fine, if it makes you feel better, I'm only doing gate duty. It's not as if I'll be on my own," Nienna snatched her wrist away from Tauriel's grasp and gave the head guard a defiant glare.

The head guard sighed in defeat. Nienna was one of her few fellow females in the guard, and one of the most competent, apart from herself and Rúthen of course. The Silvan elf had been determined to prove herself from the start, and had done so many times, so to be honest Tauriel had no doubt she would be absolutely fine doing duty, even when her choice of weapons and fighting ability were so heavily compromised.

"Whatever, go and guard the gate," Tauriel told her, receiving a grin of victory as the elleth moved to leave, "but wait, sorry, I have to know. How many did we lose?"

Nienna's smile vanished instantly, to be replaced with a look that would haunt Tauriel for weeks to come. When she spoke, it was barely audible, but Tauriel's ears picked it up anyway. She immediately wished they hadn't.

"Enelya is dead,"

As a sick feeling swept over the head guard, she tried to block out the next words but somehow couldn't.

"She was the first to die, I saw it happen. An orc shot her as she tried to stop the dwarves from escaping. She had no idea they were there. She had no chance,"

Nienna turned without another word and left the room, leaving the head guard alone with her emotions. Enelya, dead? Sweet, bright, sensitive little Enelya, lying cold and lifeless on the hard, unforgiving, bloodstained battlefield? Tauriel felt as if ice cold water had come flooding into her heart. Enelya had been the youngest of her group, the most eager to please, full of life and jokes and laughter. She had also been very close to Nienna and Tauriel, the three females tending to stick together, and that made her loss cut all the deeper. Enelya was meant to be the one they tried to protect, not the one who died because of Tauriel's mistakes.

_Her own_ mistakes. She had known about the orcs. She could have got the message to the rest of the guard herself, but she hadn't and now she was to blame for the death of a dear friend. Suddenly Tauriel found herself unsteady on her feet and moved quickly over to sit at the solitary desk which was the official office of the guard. It didn't make her feel better. As she rested her head in her hands, her eyes could not help but focus on a piece of parchment right under her nose: a list. Tauriel tried to tear her eyes away from it but found it impossible, the words making their way into her head against her will, tearing at her heart as guilt bombarded her again and again with every new name. Most of them she didn't even recognise, as the only one who was officially in the guard was Enelya and the rest were trained warriors who only came out on call, but a few names were familiar and she grieved for all of them, acquaintances and strangers alike.

She was responsible for them all.

* * *

><p>Fili read and re-read his letter to Thorin, checking for mistakes and crossing out bits that didn't make sense or he felt were superfluous. Bilbo had been to the kitchens under the cover of the ring and returned with some sort of tasteless but sustaining bread which Kili had refused, saying he wasn't hungry, and the hobbit had now dozed off against Kili's bed. Sunlight streamed through the high window, and the letter was ready to be copied out neatly onto a new sheet of parchment. It read:<p>

_Dearest Uncle,_

_I am deeply sorry that Kili and I could not accompany Mr Baggins immediately to join you, however Kili was wounded in the forest and will not be able to travel for several weeks. Until then, the elves have given us permission to stay in Mirkwood and, though this might seem unlikely, are caring for us excellently, so do not worry for our health because I assure you we are both fine. Mr Baggins can confirm that.  
>I cannot say when we will be able to rejoin you, but you can be sure it will be as soon as possible. Until then, I wish you the best of luck with the dragon and I hope when I see you next you will have a crown on your head and the Arkenstone in your hand.<em>

_All my love,  
>Fili<em>

Kili, on the other hand, hadn't spent nearly as much time and effort on his letter to his uncle because he had insisted on writing every single member of the company a short letter of their own. He knew how much some of them would worry, because as Fili pointed out, the last they had heard of him was that he was missing in the forest, and he also wanted to give them the encouragement and cheer that he would have given personally were he with them. This is what he wrote to Thorin:

_Dear Uncle Thorin,_

_I ran into orcs in the forest and I will not be able to travel for a couple of weeks but I intend on getting back on my feet as soon as possible and hopefully I can persuade the elves to let Fili and me go early, so expect to see us soon enough. And kill the dragon too if you can, I don't fancy meeting it very much. I can't wait to see Erebor though, and it's hard to bear being so close and still unable to see it. Do not worry about us, the elves I have met so far are all really nice and we will be well looked after. Good luck with the rest of the quest, and don't drown in gold,_

_Love,  
>Kili<em>

Kili had deliberated over how much detail to go into when it came to his injuries, but in the end he just included a summary in his letter to Oin, as he knew the healer would be the most interested to know, and the most worried if he left out the information. In his letter to Dwalin, he requested that in the case that they encountered any orcs, the warrior would carry out his revenge on his behalf by killing as many as possible. He knew it would benefit Dwalin greatly to channel some of his anger into revenge. In his letter to Ori, he heavily stressed that he was feeling a lot better and would be out of bed soon, since he knew the scribe always worried too much about things, and in his letter to Bombur he wrote that the elves were feeding them enough (although he hadn't actually eaten anything since his arrival and had only drunk half a glass of water) but that he was greatly missing the cook's delicious stews.

A great tiredness was sweeping over Kili now, even though he had only been up an hour at most, and it annoyed him. He wasn't this weak. Sure, it took all his strength to fight the pain that still threatened to engulf him at times, but he could stay awake for a few more hours at least. If he did fall asleep so soon it would show that he was weak and might delay the time that he was allowed out of bed.

Then again, Bilbo had dozed off against the side of his bed. But that was different, Bilbo had slept on the floor, which Kili was sure couldn't have been comfortable. The hobbit had a good excuse.

Just then, the door creaked a little as it swung slowly open to reveal a person he was certainly not going to fall asleep in front of. Tauriel stood in the doorway with a bowl of broth in one hand and a pile of clothes in the other, her eyes resting on the sleeping hobbit.

"Legolas wasn't joking then," she said, looking in disbelief first at Fili, then at Kili, "I didn't believe him when he told me a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins had sneaked in here without anyone's notice whatsoever,"

Fili grinned, "didn't I tell you? An invisible hobbit,"

Tauriel's eyes widened as she recalled the dwarf's earlier words, the whole picture suddenly fitting together with clarity.

"I will certainly be interested to hear this story in its entirety, but perhaps when Mr Baggins awakens. It would be rude to talk behind his back," she said, moving over to the opposite side of Kili's bed to where Fili and Bilbo sat and placing the pile of clothes on a small table next to a pile of bandages.

Kili, aware that he was missing something, added in "me too, I would like to know the ins and outs of how Bilbo got here,"

"Another time," promised Fili, reaching under the blankets to take Kili's hand and give it a small squeeze. Kili didn't know whether it was to emphasise the promise or for reassurance about what was to come, but Tauriel had now left the steaming bowl of soup on the table as well and washed her hands in a small basin before moving over to Kili's side.

"You can eat the soup in a minute," she explained, "first I'm going to change your bandages. I will try my best to make it painless, but the movement might hurt. Would you rather have a painkiller first, or do you think you will be ok without?"

"I'll be fine without," replied Kili, and Fili looked at him as if he knew this was a bad idea, but Kili resolutely ignored him and locked his eyes on Tauriel as she nodded slowly.

"Very well, but if it hurts too much just say, ok?"

Kili nodded, hoping he looked more brave than he felt. A painkiller was probably what he needed most right now, but he couldn't seem weak in front of Tauriel, or even Fili. He knew it wouldn't get him anywhere.

Tauriel first turned back the covers to expose his banaged chest. His shirt had been completely removed and probably burned by now, not that it had been much of a garment anyway by the time Tauriel had found him in the forest. Adjusting the pillows beneath his head, she shifted one so it was underneath his shoulders, effectively raising his torso from the mattress so she could easily unwind the bandages. This part, he found, wasn't too bad. The shift of the pillows had caused a short period of agony, but not much more than he was enduring anyway so he had been able to cover it up. Well, almost. Fili had been able to tell, but he hadn't breathed a word about it so Kili hoped he would ignore it if it happened again.

Once all the bandages were removed, he heard a short intake of breath from Fili at his side. Taking a look down, he realised why. A long, red scar, neatly stitched up, stretched right down the left side of his ribs, and the ribs themselves had stopped swelling but some now bore the bluish black colour of bruising. His chest was a gruesome rainbow, and all in all, it looked quite sickening.

Tauriel seemed unperturbed by it, however, as she produced from inside her cloak a small pot of ointment, which she gently massaged over the bruised and cracked ribs. The ointment felt cool on Kili's skin and he sighed at the release it brought, the burning feeling which he had been trying to ignore for so long dissipating instantly at Tauriel's soft touch. Then she was wrapping fresh bandages around him, and he winced slightly at the pressure, but soon enough it was all over and the elf was back at the pile of clothes, rummaging through them.

Then Tauriel returned holding a clean cotton shirt.

"I think this should fit you," she said, "Fili, can you lift Kili so I can get it over his head?"

Fili nodded and obeyed, placing his hands behind his brother's back to raise him slightly off the pillows.

Kili gasped as once again his ribs were set on fire, but it only lasted for a few seconds as Tauriel pulled the green cotton shirt over his head in one fluid movement and he struggled briefly to find the arm holes, before Fili lowered him gently back down and the fire died away, for once deciding not to linger.

Next came his ankle. The throbbing pain had been easy enough to ignore so far, just by pretending that his leg wasn't part of his body and that it was all in his imagination, but now that was hard to pretend because he was looking straight down at it. Unlike the bandages round his chest, the bandages round his ankle were thick and stiff, restricting his movement although not too uncomfortably. Propping his foot up on a pillow, Tauriel unwound the stiff bandages swiftly and deftly, and soon his foot lay bare on the sheets. Or rather, what was a foot but didn't look much like one.

Thin red blood vessels criss-crossed the inflamed skin, bulging as the soft tissue beneath swelled horribly. Around his ankle, several lines of stitching held together the places where the skin had broken and the bones had previously shown through. The bones had been repositioned correctly now, but the pain continued, amplified as if the bandages had been smothering it. Kili gritted his teeth, and Fili noticed and gave his hand another little squeeze of reassurance, looking slightly pale himself.

Tauriel worked silently, filling a bowl with warm water then retrieving a small bottle from her pocket and pouring in the contents, which dissolved immediately. Then she removed some bandages from the table and started soaking them in the bowl of liquid before wringing them out and beginning to bind them round Kili's ankle once more.

"Um - if you don't mind me asking - just out of curiosity -" began Fili hesitantly, not knowing if the elf would mind being interrupted, but Tauriel turned to him and smiled as encouragement to continue. Fili cleared his throat and began again, more confidently, "what are you soaking the bandages in? I've never seen Oin do anything like that,"

"It's a plant starch, and it will stiffen the bandages when they dry," explained Tauriel, "it works a bit like a splint, but more comfortable and better suited to broken ankles and wrists, and there is also a chemical in it which numbs the pain. We still use wooden splints for arms and legs so as not to waste bandages. I assume Oin is your dwarven healer?"

Fili nodded, "Yes, he is. But I guess we don't have such imaginative uses for plants as you do,"

"It comes from living in a forest," replied Tauriel with a smile, then her expression grew concerned as she looked back at the younger dwarf. "Kili, are you feeling ok?"

Kili, in the space of a few minutes, had gone from a slightly pale colour to a sickly green. He groaned, but did not reply.

"Kili are you alright?" Fili pressed, bringing his face level with his brother's and trying to get Kili to open his eyes, "Kili, answer me!"

Without warning, Kili twisted forward towards Fili, and promptly threw up, although nothing much came out as the only thing he'd had for about a day was a bit of water.

Tauriel instantaneously appeared at Kili's other side, ignoring the fact that Fili now had bile dripping from his short blond beard, and held out the broth which she had brought.

"What are you giving him that for?" Fili asked her, outwardly annoyed but with an undertone of worry, "are you trying to tell me something? You think I should take a bath?"

"No, I'm not, though a bath wouldn't do you any harm," Tauriel replied patiently, "his stomach is empty and it's doing him no good. The pain from his ankle must have been the last straw,"

Fili looked down, ashamed but still worried. "Will he be alright?"

"Yes, once he's got food in him," Tauriel said, attention now turned the sick dwarf, "Kili, look at me. Kili, you need to eat,"

Kili turned his head and opened his eyes a fraction to look up at the elf, but didn't reply except to groan a little more, a trickle of saliva hanging from the corner of his mouth, which Fili hastily wiped away with his sleeve.

"Fili will sit you up," Tauriel told Kili with a meaningful glance at Fili, who got the message and moved to lift his brother, "now do you think you could eat this broth?"

Kili closed his eyes in pain as Fili raised him until he was almost upright, then eyed the soup warily and shook his head.

"You must eat, otherwise you'll be sick again," Fili told him sternly. Kili glanced at his brother, recognising the expression immediately, and knew it would be futile to argue.

"Ok," he said in a small voice, although he didn't know how well he could take it and his mouth still tasted acid, "but I'll do it myself,"

He lifted his hands to take the spoon and the bowl, and though the elf was reluctant at first, she handed them over without protest. The broth had cooled considerably but was not yet cold, and Kili thought it smelled alright so he lifted the spoon to his mouth and took a tiny sip.

Fili watched, heart in his mouth because he knew something Tauriel didn't - if Kili refused this, something was majorly wrong. His brother had always been driven by his stomach, in a way that most dwarves were, even if it didn't show in his stature. He hardly ever refused food, unless there was an unfortunate amount of green stuff in it. Kili had never really appreciated "rabbit food". So if he didn't eat now, it was a good indicator that there was something wrong that Kili wasn't letting on.

Suddenly there was a loud slurping noise, and Kili swallowed the spoonful of broth in one gulp. Then he pulled a face, which made Fili worry for a moment, until his brother spoke.

"Tasteless, watery, and not enough meat -"

"No meat," corrected Tauriel automatically.

"-but acceptable," finished Kili, "though what I wouldn't give to have Bombur here right now,"

Fili had to laugh. Of course food would revive his brother's spirit, as well as drive away the hunger.

Awakened by the sound of Fili's laughter, Bilbo sat up suddenly, quite alarmed. He hastily got to his feet, taking in the present company.

"My goodness, I must have drifted off!" he exclaimed, "did you get those letters finished?"

"We did," confirmed Fili, watching Kili gulping down his broth out of the corner of his eye and still supporting his brother with one hand.

"Ah, mistress Tauriel," Bilbo turned to the elf and gave a neat bow, "I do not believe we have been introduced. I am Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit from the Shire, and I am delighted to make your acquaintance,"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Baggins," Tauriel smiled at him curiously as she tied off the last bandage on Kili's ankle without the dwarf noticing, the task having been hastily abandoned at the latest turn of events, "I have been told quite a bit about you, and I will not begin to ask how you managed to persuade Legolas to let you stay,"

"Actually, I'm not sure that I did do that," replied Bilbo, frowning as he recalled the conversation with the Prince, "he seemed quite happy to ignore me in the end. Maybe he has less of a grudge against hobbits than he does against dwarves,"

"You could be right," mused Tauriel, "but I have noticed him acting - differently, of late. I just wish I could get to the bottom of it," she sighed.

Fili shook his head, "I'll never understand him. Or elves in general for that matter. I mean, you've gone to so much trouble over us when the first thing you did was lock us up. Why did you even go looking for Kili in the first place? You could have just ignored me, but you didn't. Why? What is there to gain from helping us?"

Tauriel turned to him with a frown of concentration, as if trying to decipher something from his words. Kili and Bilbo looked on apprehensively. Kili had the spoon halfway to his mouth and Bilbo looked shocked, scared that Fili might have just made a grave mistake. Fili, however, held eye contact with Tauriel, his sincere question demanding a sincere answer, and eventually the elf spoke.

"You must remember, master Fili, that a race consists of many individuals, and each individual is just as deep and complex as yourself, different yet similar, impossible to fully understand. We do not think as one body, but each have our own views, our own take on the world. While my King may hold a foolish grudge against your own race, many of my people would be more than willing to give you a chance to contravene our rather unfortunate stereotypes, myself included. I do not believe that dwarves are lesser than elves in any way, for what you lack in some aspects, you make up for in others. I do not treat you in any way differently than I would an elf in your position. I also wish that you may do the same for me and any other elves you meet, and do not form opinions based on myth and ancient grudge but rather on what you see for yourself. I hope that answers your question,"

Fili stared at her, lost for words. The words swam in his brain, stabbing at any ideas that opposed them, and all the while his uncle's voice echoed in his head: "do not trust elves, especially the wood elves. They are foolish and wild." How had Thorin been so wrong? He had always placed so much trust in his uncle's opinions, and more often than not it was well placed, but this time, it seemed, the King under the Mountain had been mistaken.

"Well, I'm glad that we hobbits don't have such ridiculous stereotypes that we have to overcome every time we meet someone different," remarked Bilbo.

Kili looked at him sideways, eyes drooping closed but still awake, and snorted lightly, "yeah, like you didn't look as if a dragon had just landed on your doorstep when we arrived at your hobbit hole,"

"That was different! I hadn't been expecting quite so many of you, that was all," defended Bilbo, and Kili scoffed again but didn't retort, choosing instead to cover up a massive yawn.

"If you want to sleep we can leave you be," Fili said, and Kili, not caring what anyone thought at that moment, nodded sleepily. Fili looked to Tauriel and Bilbo, who nodded in agreement, and silently the three of them filed out of the room and the elf shut the door gently.

"You may go wherever you please as long as you do not leave the palace and you do not go through closed doors," Tauriel informed Fili, "I should be on duty now, but I will return this evening. I suggest you come back here every few hours to check on your brother, as I won't be able to, but he needs his sleep so don't let him stay awake for long if he does wake up. There are also healers around who will check on him every now and then, and there are always healers in that room there," she pointed to an open door down the corridor where there was a lot of movement, "so that is where to go if you need one for Kili. If you continue down this corridor right to the end you will find a room with many taps and basins where you can wash and change into these clothes," she offered a pile of clean clothes that she had brought with her earlier, which Fili took gratefully, "and then you may do what you want. You know where the kitchens are I believe?" Fili nodded "good. Well, I must be off. I will see you again this evening,"

With that, she turned tail and strode purposefully in the opposite direction. Fili looked at Bilbo.

"Are you going to leave now?"

"Yes, I think now would be a good time," replied the hobbit, "after all, I am well rested and there is no point that I can see of delaying any further,"

"You're right," said Fili, "here are the letters. Don't let Thorin strangle you before he's read them,"

Fili handed over the pile of folded parchment addressed to all the members of the company, and Bilbo stowed it away in an inside pocket.

"Farewell for now, master Fili," Bilbo said cheerfully, "I think I might exit unseen, I would rather fewer people know of my existence than more,"

"Go ahead," chuckled Fili, "and good luck. You do know where you're going don't you?" he added as an afterthought.

"Yes, yes, I'm just going to follow the river to Lake Town. I saw the route yesterday," Bilbo assured him.

"Good," replied Fili, "well, I guess this is goodbye,"

"Not for long," Bilbo said firmly, "I will see you both again very soon I am sure. But yes, goodbye, and I hope the elves continue to be hospitable,"

"I'm sure they will," Fili mumbled, but Bilbo had already disappeared and he didn't bother to listen for the hobbit's footsteps because he knew there would be nothing to listen for - nothing audible, at least.

Then he turned and headed off in the direction that Tauriel had pointed. As much as he loved his brother, it was high time to rid his beard of Kili's bile.


	14. Chapter 14

_Here I am, breaking my 3-day rule to get this chapter to you because I know I won't be able to update tomorrow. Chances are updates will be irregular for the next week because it's half term, but hopefully that will mean more updates rather than fewer, because hopefully I will have plenty of time to write!_

_The "hall of fame" idea seemed to go down well two chapters ago, so I'm going to do it again since it's valentines day and I want you reviewers to know how much I love you! So here are the people I would like to send imaginary love heart chocolates to (sorry they couldn't be real ones) who have reviewed either last chapter or the chapter before, and sorry if I missed anyone: **Syblime, fixusi, GregsMadHatter, FanOfRandomThings, helicopter815, jaymzNshed, InezSophia, Ximena 13, Bookdancer, **and a guest reviewer with the imaginative name of **Guest**._

_This is a very Legolas-filled chapter, so whether you love or hate our confused elvish Prince I hope you enjoy it :)_

* * *

><p>Legolas had been aimlessly wandering the halls of his home for the past few hours, but hadn't covered even half of the corridors in the palace. He had been sticking to the lower floors, as he didn't want to go anywhere near his father's chamber even though he knew it didn't really make a difference, but he had, however, been to the kitchens twice, and now he returned from his second visit and found his feet taking him down towards the healing rooms where he knew the dwarves were. He didn't intend on stopping to check on them, as he knew Tauriel was taking good care of them and would probably not appreciate his disturbance, but instead aimed for a staircase which would take him down to the lower levels.<p>

Just as he was thinking of her, however, he looked up to see Tauriel coming towards him down the corridor. He didn't much feel like talking, so after inquiring briefly after the dwarves and being assured that Kili was fine and Fili was out and about, he made sure there was nothing useful he could be doing instead of wandering aimlessly about then they parted ways once more. Now he set off at a slightly faster pace, wanting to find a deep dark corner to sit and think properly, as he had been trying to keep his mind off his father, the thoughts that plagued him most, but knew that the time would come eventually when he would have to face his own awkward questions head on. It would be best to get it over and done with.

As he rounded a corner, however, his knee collided with something soft, small and invisible. At his moderate pace, he had time this time to realise what was happening as it happened, and as his eyes widened in shock he managed to grab ahold of the obstacle's head, fingers entwining in it's short curly hair, and brought it down with him as he collided painfully with the hard stone floor.

"Ow! Ow! Gerroff me!"

The half-sized creature struggled and tried to pry itself away, but Legolas kept a firm hold on its hair as he picked himself up and straightened out his sore body.

"Bilbo Baggins, the very quiet hobbit," he said coldly, but there was a hint of amusement underneath his tone.

Bilbo knew he had no choice but to show himself, so as smoothly as he could, he slipped the ring off his finger and into his pocket without letting it be seen by Legolas, and to his relief it seemed to have worked.

"So there you are," Legolas said, "I was wondering whether my eyes were mistaken, but thankfully they are not. Nor were they yesterday, I believe. But tell me," he narrowed his eyes, "how do you come across such a rare and unusual power? I was not aware hobbits could do such things naturally,"

Bilbo had been wracking his brains for a cover story, but at the prince's last sentence, he found his answer. Being of a less well known race, he figured that his lie could at least get by if he was stubborn enough, if not fool the prince altogether.

"Oh, it's rare alright," Bilbo began rather hesitantly, "I mean, not all hobbits can do it. Most of them think it's strange and unnatural. But do you really think Gandalf would have picked an ordinary hobbit to go on a dwarven adventure?"

"Gandalf chose you? Mithrandir?" asked Legolas.

"Of course!" replied Bilbo, "he knew of my abilities and thought I would be a valuable asset,"

"Can many hobbits...um...turn invisible?" Legolas still didn't sound convinced.

"No, only the ones descended from the Took line. They say that one Took married a Faery, and that's where the ability comes from," Bilbo expanded dramatically, "my mother passed the ability on to me. I have several cousins who can do it as well, but none as completely as I can. Well, one of them can, but then he can't go completely visible. The best he can do is a sort of semi-translucent. Quite tragic, really,"

"Very tragic," agreed Legolas, frowning.

"But if you wouldn't mind, I would like to be on my way. I must deliver letters to Thorin and company, you see," Bilbo said, deciding it was time to end this conversation as he had gone far enough and could see that the elf was too baffled to argue.

"Very well, on your way then halfling," Legolas told him, and Bilbo gave a polite bow, turned, and quickly slipped the ring back on when the elf wasn't looking. Before he turned the corner, he couldn't help but glance back at the look on Legolas's face. He swore that he would never forget it for the rest of his life.

Legolas watched the hobbit disappear in front of his very eyes, and stood for a moment in wonder. He found it difficult to believe half of what the hobbit had told him - he had a strong suspicion that Bilbo had in fact made it all up on the spot - but that didn't change the fact that the hobbit had _actually disappeared_. He shook his head and decided to think no more about it, then turned and went on his way, blissfully oblivious to the fact that the thing he had just let slip under his nose would change the course of his life, though not for many years yet. Bilbo would be an old hobbit living at Rivendell when he would finally break the news to Legolas that hobbits couldn't actually vanish by themselves.

* * *

><p>For the first time since Rivendell, Fili was properly clean, a feeling he had missed for so long. It felt oddly free, the lack of dirt making his fingernails shine and his hair all bushy. He had also found several cuts and bruises that he hadn't realised he had, but luckily none of them were infected and all of them were healing perfectly fine. Of course, he was deluding himself if he thought it could last, but it was good to stand, for this one moment, in freshly washed clothes without a speck of dirt on him.<p>

But where to go next? He wanted to go and check on Kili, but he thought it might disturb his brother's sleep to go in too often, so he decided against that. He thought about the kitchens, but then dismissed the idea, as he was still full from the bread he had eaten earlier, tasteless as it might have been. He didn't know any other parts of the palace except for the front gate, and of course the cells.

Then again, he had time. And there was no harm in getting to know this place a little better. What was the worst that could happen if he wandered aimlessly for a while? If he got lost he could always find an elf and follow them. Coming to a conclusion, he started walking more purposefully towards a staircase he had seen leading downwards, and followed it.

It soon became a game, rather like hide and seek but for only one person. Fili took random turns and went down staircases whenever he came across them, and so ended up going further and further down the levels, until he felt that he had gone far enough and decided to get un-lost. This was difficult, but he had made it easier for himself by only going down staircases on his way, so he knew the way out only went up staircases. It was lonely, and Fili wished Kili could be playing it with him because Kili always made games infinitely more fun, but the challenge took his mind off other things, which had been his main goal.

He checked on Kili three times during the day, and Kili was awake the third time, so they had a brief conversation before he fell asleep again. The younger dwarf had wanted to know what the elves were like, and more about the palace, but Fili could not answer most of his questions, having spent most of the day getting lost and un-lost. He could, however, confirm that the palace was big, and that the food was bland, and that the elves seemed to all know of their presence because whenever Fili had passed one on a corridor he had received a polite nod but no questions. Some elves even smiled, but there were also others who passed by with icy stares and hostile expressions.

Tauriel had returned in the evening, but did not change any bandages or even look over Kili's wounds. As she gave Kili a spoonful of some weird medicine which she said was another of Túvel's concoctions, she had a faraway expression on her face and didn't seem to be listening to what Kili was saying. When Fili finally asked if anything was the matter she seemed to come back to earth long enough to shake her head and explain that they had buried the dead that day. Then she left the room without another word.

The next few days passed in much the same way; Kili slept and healed, Tauriel dropped by twice or three times a day (growing more talkative the more time she spent with the dwarves, and Fili noticed that she seemed to be getting especially fond of his brother), no word was heard from Bilbo (which was as expected so they took that to mean everything had gone to plan) and Fili wandered. He preferred the lower corridors, as they were carved into the earth and reminded him of the mountain that, though he had never seen it, felt as though it was already a part of him.

As his wanderings took him deeper and deeper, he grew to know the passageways better and better, though he still got lost if he took even one wrong turn. Several times he thought he saw a movement round a corner just as he turned into a passageway, but after the third day of experiencing this he decided it was just his imagination. On the fifth day, however, he found that he had not been imagining things, and that there was indeed another person roaming the corridors just like he was.

It was morning, nearing noon, and Fili had spent the best part of the day so far with his brother, who was sleeping less and less and getting more and more irritated at being cooped up in a room. In the end he had stubbornly refused to go back to sleep, even when Fili had reminded him that sleep was the quickest way to heal and therefore the quickest route out of bed. Fili was immensely relieved that Kili was getting bored with being injured - something would be majorly wrong otherwise - but he also knew that Kili was still in pain sometimes, especially when he had been awake for more than two hours and his body was starting to feel the strain of continually trying to sit up. Today Fili had decided that him being there was just distracting Kili from getting rest so he had simply turned and walked out of the room.

As he turned down the now familiar routes, he realised that he actually had quite a bit of time on his hands. He wanted Kili to sleep for as long as possible, which ranged from two and a half to four hours during the day, so he could afford to get a bit lost. Taking the next random turn, he followed the twisting hallway left, then right, then right again and down a staircase, until he had no idea whatsoever where he was. The dimly lit passage now split off into two, one branch more brightly lit than the other. Fili chose the dark one.

Barely a hundred yards down it, his toes met stone wall. This, however, did not put him off. Tracing the ancient rock with his fingertips, Fili moved across to where he could somehow tell there was more space, and possibly another passageway.

"Well don't step on me,"

Fili jumped at the sudden voice that came out of nowhere, and looked around for its source, but he could see nothing. Everything was pitch black.

"Why don't you sit down?" came the voice again, and this time Fili recognised it as Legolas's, coming from somewhere by his feet. Then he realised that Legolas was sitting on the floor and inviting him to join him. He debated internally for a few seconds as to whether it was a good idea to be alone with an elf in the dark, but his curiosity got the better of him and he slid down the wall next to the Prince of Mirkwood.

The stone was not cold. It was not unfriendly. Fili didn't know how he could tell that it was friendly stone, but he could. The air was also...welcoming, not stuffy but not chilly either.

"It's actually quite nice down here," he mused out loud, "a good place for thinking,"

"Mm-hmm" answered the elf, knowing exactly what Fili meant.

They sat in silence for several long minutes, until suddenly Legolas spoke again.

"You're a Prince,"

"So are you," replied Fili, not sure where this was going.

"Are you Thorin's first heir?"

"Mm-hmm,"

"So one day you'll be King under the Mountain,"

"And one day you'll be King of Mirkwood,"

Legolas laughed dryly at that. "I doubt it, master dwarf. Immortality and all that. My father does have quite a talent for self preservation which I somewhat lack,"

"You expect to predecease him?" Fili was shocked.

"No, that wasn't quite what I meant. I hope not to die at all, but what I meant was if one of us leaves this life, it is more likely to be me,"

"Well I'm afraid I don't have that option. Death is inevitable for me, the only thing I can do is delay it for as long as possible,"

"Yes, dwarf lives are brief, but that is also a blessing. You know your time is limited so you live life to the full and don't worry about tomorrow,"

"Really? You don't think we spend our time slogging away at rock down a mine all day?"

"Well, there is that too," agreed Legolas, "but take reclaiming you homeland for instance. A noble quest, though a foolish one,"

"Why foolish? You don't think we will succeed?"

"I highly doubt that thirteen dwarves - or eleven now, since you are here - can take on a dragon,"

"Ah, but you're forgetting the hobbit," joked Fili.

"Oh, and the invisible hobbit of course," laughed Legolas, and Fili was glad for the darkness so Legolas could not see his expression of shock. How did the elf know of the hobbit's invisibility?

"Yes, well, he's an unusual one," he bluffed, hoping against hope that Legolas wasn't aware of the ring. He was sure that if he did he would be after it.

"Yes, I never knew that some hobbits could turn invisible at will," replied the elf, and now Fili had to pretend to choke to hide his laughter. He couldn't help but wonder just what Bilbo Baggins had told Legolas to make him believe that, and if indeed Legolas believed it at all or was just saying it for want of a better explanation. Once he recovered from his laughter, however, he decided it was time to change the topic.

"Before I came down here - sorry if it's personal, you don't have to answer - what were you thinking about?"

"Well, it is personal," replied Legolas, "but I think I can tell you. I am worried about my father. He is in one of his rages at the moment, which means he locks himself in his room until he calms down,"

"That's a good way of dealing with anger as far as I see," commented Fili, "when Thorin's angry he often tries to contain it, but inadvertently takes it out on everyone with his bad mood. Or just doesn't contain it at all,"

"I agree that the solitude can help," said the elf, "but it can last for weeks, and if he comes out before he's ready then he'll be even angrier than before. This time I'm worried because I've never seen him so angry - well actually I have, but that wasn't directed at me. And I worry for you, because if he comes out before you are gone chances are you will be thrown out or else become prisoners,"

Fili shuddered, trying not to imagine what that would mean for Kili. "You wouldn't let him do that though, right?" he searched the elf for a piece of comfort.

"No, I wouldn't," replied Legolas, "but it might not make any difference,"

They fell into an uneasy silence for a couple of minutes, then Fili said:

"Which do you fear more? Letting down your father or incurring his wrath?"

"I don't know...I guess it depends," said Legolas, "if I know I am doing the right thing I don't feel as if I'm letting him down, so I guess in that case I fear his wrath more, but in that situation I also can also let his anger wash over me because I know that I am right in the end. But if I do something wrong accidentally, I hate to let him down. There's this constant pressure to be the best, you know what I mean?"

"Yes, I know exactly what you mean," agreed Fili, thinking of Thorin and his constantly high expectations for his nephews, "but I've got Kili to share it with. What we can't do individually we can do as a pair. We've always been a team. I can't imagine what it must be like without anyone to take the weight off your shoulders,"

Legolas sighed, "yes, I often wish I had a sibling. Someone who would love me unconditionally as an equal - not that I'm ungrateful for the relationship I have with my father of course, but sometimes I just feel...lonely,"

"It is unusual among dwarves to be an only child," said Fili, "most mothers have two or three children. Because of the gender imbalance, you see,"

"It is unusual among elves too, though not for the same reasons," replied Legolas, "in my culture there are often groups of many siblings, but my mother died when I was very young, leaving me without brothers or sisters,"

"Oh...I'm sorry," Fili squinted through the darkness to try and read the elf's expression, but he could barely see his faint outline let alone his face.

"It's ok, I barely remember her anyway," Legolas reassured him, "it's my father who was most affected. People tell me that he used to be a warm person, but now he's just so...lost. Do you have both your parents?"

"My mother is waiting back home in the Blue Mountains," Fili told him, smiling at the thought of his mother, "she didn't want to let me or Kili go on this quest but we insisted. She will come when Erebor has been retaken. My father died not long after Kili was born, and I barely remember him either. Thorin sort of stepped in after that,"

"Thorin? He didn't seem the fatherly kind when we had him here," Legolas raised his eyebrows in the dark.

"You wouldn't think so would you?" Fili chuckled, "but he is actually quite soft underneath the hard shell. Difficult for anyone else to see through it though. Even mum can't tell what he's thinking half the time, but he's been a good uncle. The best uncle,"

"What's it like for Kili? Being a younger brother I mean. It must be annoying having someone always just ahead of you, succeeding in things before you can even try them," Legolas mused.

"I guess it was like that a bit when we were younger," said Fili, "but he always saw me as a sort of role model, and I tried my best to be one. Then we grew up and the age gap didn't seem to matter much any more. We each kind of found our place once we found what we were good at, and luckily we're good at different things or else equally matched. Once we had a fiddle playing competition and it lasted hours, until he got too drunk to continue," he couldn't help but grin at the memory.

"Shouldn't that mean you won?" asked Legolas.

"No, he made me declare a draw by threatening to tell everyone at the party the carnivorous squirrel incident,"

"The carnivorous squirrel incident?" inquired the elf.

"A squirrel bit my nose," replied Fili. He had found it quite embarrassing at the time, but now he looked back on it he could see it more as a joke. "Kili was trying to steal nuts from this squirrel nest back home, but he didn't realise it was inhabited. Long story short, he dodged, and the squirrel got me instead,"

"That doesn't sound too embarrassing," commented Legolas, but Fili laughed.

"It was more embarrassing than you would think. We dwarves are very proud of our noses, you know,"

"But Kili doesn't have a very large nose," remarked Legolas.

"No, he's always been a bit sensitive about that actually. Once when we were younger I had to beat up another dwarfling for teasing him about it," replied Fili.

"That sounds a bit drastic, if it was only a snide comment," said the elf, but Fili shook his head in the dark.

"I would never let anyone tease Kili. If they mess with one of us, they mess with both of us. Any insult to him is also an insult to me, and if they choose to pick on Kili they have me to answer to,"

"He's like your other half," said Legolas quietly.

"Yes," replied Fili simply, and once again they lapsed into silence. They both knew there was no more explanation needed.

Fili would go to the ends of the earth for his brother.


	15. Chapter 15

_Erm... So I haven't been getting as much time as I would like to write. Trying to type on a three hour car journey was not particularly enjoyable, so on the way back I did not even try, but it has meant that I am not as far ahead as I had hoped. Still, I will try not to make you wait any longer than normal for updates._

_Today the shout-outs go to: __**Syblime, Bookdancer, InezSophia, leggomygreggo2, MomoftheShire, jaymzNshed, FanOfRandomThings, tygrislily, fixusi **__and__** GregsMadHatter. **__Thank you all for reviewing!_

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><p>Kili was bored stiff. Actually, he was bored, and he was stiff. Lying in bed for almost a week, unable to even sit up by himself without excruciating pain, definitely hadn't done his muscles any good. He could almost feel them wasting away by the second. Not that he wanted to look like Dwalin, but he really didn't need to be any skinnier than he was already, not if he wanted to look like an actual dwarf.<p>

At first he had tried to skimp on sleep, trying to make Tauriel believe that he was recovering quicker and that he would be strong enough to get up in less than a week, but that had only made it worse, his tired appearance telling Tauriel all she needed to know about his recovery. He had given up on that tactic after the second day. Then he had tried to sleep all he could, in order to actually recover quicker, and it had worked well enough that he was no longer tired all the time, Fili had stopped worrying, and Tauriel had started spending more time talking with him whenever she dropped by, seeing that he was bored and in need of company. They spent most of that time laughing, as Kili's sense of humour mixed with Tauriel's easily broken pretence of maturity managed to lighten both their hearts every time.

Now, however, he was alone, awake and utterly bored. Tauriel had to do her job, and her team were still feeling the loss of their youngest member, so it wasn't easy for her to keep things running as smoothly as they should have been and could only visit Kili at most twice a day. Fili didn't seem to see that Kili wouldn't sleep even if he was left alone, and going away wasn't going to do anything except make him die of boredom.

If only he could walk, he could go to the kitchens or something. Granted, the food would never be as good as dwarvish food, but at least it was nourishment, and he felt as though he had been hungry ever since that first bowl of broth on his very first day in the Elvenking's palace. He could sit up now without his ribs feeling as if they were on fire, and his ankle only hurt when he thought about it. Surely now would be as good a time as any to try with crutches? Perhaps if he proved he could stand up without fainting or anything he might be allowed to. Anyhow, there was no harm in trying.

He took his time sitting up, as he found he always got dizzy if he did it too fast, and as he did so he pulled the covers back off his legs so that he could swing them off the bed. He moved his left leg slowly, careful not to jolt his heavily bandaged foot, and to his delight his ankle did not protest at all, except what it was already doing which he could deal with. Breathing heavily with excitement, he slowly lowered his feet to the ground, keeping the left one raised ever so slightly so that no pressure was put on it, then he grasped the wooden bedpost with one hand and, wobbling with the exertion of an exercise that he had not done for what seemed like forever, stood up.

The achievement gave Kili a feeling of elation that he compared to the time he got his first ever bullseye on the archery range. He had proved to himself that he was not weak, and that he was recovering at a ridiculously rapid pace, and that he would be able to actually get up and go about sooner than he had ever anticipated. He couldn't wait to see the look on Tauriel and Fili's faces when they found out. But would they ever believe him? He would be able to give no firm proof, and the likelihood of them letting him try again was very small. If only there was a way that they would have to believe him...

His eyes fell on the bed opposite, barely two feet away. If he could get himself into Fili's bed, then there was no way they could ignore his achievement. It would mean hopping, which would cost him precious energy, but if hopping was what it would take, hopping was what he would do. He reached across to take the bedpost of Fili's bed with his other hand, and cautiously made one little jump.

The reaction from his ribs was immediate, fire flaring up in them with renewed vengeance and it was all he could do not to instinctively wrap his arms around himself, as he knew that if he let go of the two bedposts he would fall for sure. His right leg was trembling from all the weight that he was putting on it that it had become unaccustomed to of late, and he knew that it was only a matter of time before his whole body gave way completely. But he was exactly halfway between the two beds now, so getting into Fili's would be just as easy as getting into his own. There was no going back.

One more hop and he would be there. One more hop to achieve his goal. Surely that wasn't too much to ask?

Trying not to breathe too hard, as deep breaths did nothing to help his ribs, Kili bent his knee for the second, and last, hop. His leg was wobbling wildly from exertion and he clung to the bedposts for dear life to stop himself collapsing once and for all, but he managed to propel himself upwards enough to sort of shuffle the distance that was necessary. It would have been a hop had he not been too exhausted to jump high enough.

It was hard even to twist round enough now to sit on the bed, feeling like there were saws trying to hack their way out of his ribcage, and he groaned at the pain as he lowered himself slowly onto the mattress. As soon as his hands could release their iron grasp on the bedposts he wrapped them round himself, curling up as small as he could make himself as if it would help with the pain. Part of him wanted Fili there, because Fili always made him feel better, but the other, bigger part of him was glad that no one could see him in this state. Tears stung the corners of his eyes, and his ankle had started throbbing ever since he had pulled it up onto the bed.

He knew that he couldn't stay curled up in a ball of misery forever. After all, he had just accomplished the impossible. But everything hurt so much! Now he could really see why Tauriel hadn't allowed him to even try the last time he had felt the need to nag her a bit more about it. He should have stayed in his own bed.

But he was here now! He had managed it, and proved that he was so much better already. He just needed to lie properly in the bed and then he might be able to stop hurting. He had just started to stretch out his legs, wincing as the movement made his ribs throb again, when he realised that there was someone else in the room.

The only person who entered that quietly was Tauriel.

Actually, it would be more accurate to say that Fili never entered that quietly, so by process of elimination it could only be Tauriel. There were no other people who came into this room.

Forcing a smile, Kili resolutely blocked out all pain as he straightened himself out and rolled over to face Tauriel. Once he saw her expression, though, he grinned despite himself. The elf stood in the doorway, fully clad in the palace guard uniform, with a look of utter astonishment on her face.

"How did you get there?" she asked, letting the door bang shut behind her.

Kili grinned even wider, the pain seeming distant and unimportant now. "I spontaneously developed the power of flight," he told her, failing to keep a straight face as Tauriel broke into a smile.

"Well today's your lucky day, little bird," she chuckled, moving into the room and reaching over her shoulder to take something off her back, "I thought you might like these,"

Kili watched, unable to believe his luck, as Tauriel removed from beside her quiver of arrows two long, straight, sturdy branches.

"I don't know how much you or Fili know of woodwork -" Tauriel began, but Kili cut her off.

"Fili is good. He made me this..." Kili fumbled to find his pipe for a moment, before remembering that it had been in the pocket of the coat he had lost in Mirkwood. He cursed himself internally, knowing that Fili would not blame him for it but feeling like an awful brother for losing the object that Fili had put so much time and effort into making. "Sorry, I forgot, I lost it in the forest. It was a pipe," he told Tauriel, "it was beautiful, he carved my initials into it and everything,"

"I'm sure it was," Tauriel replied, carefully propping the branches beside Kili's bed, "and in that case I have no doubt Fili will do a fine job turning these into a pair of crutches. Oh, and he might want these back as well, I think it's only fair,"

From her back Tauriel now pulled Fili's twin swords, and from her belt she retrieved a small leather bag, the contents of which she tipped unceremoniously onto Kili's vacated bed. Several knives that Kili knew his brother usually kept in his boots, a couple of Kili's own arrowheads and Ori's favourite quill tumbled out.

"Why have you got Ori's quill? And where did my arrowheads come from? Why are you giving us all this stuff back anyway?" Kili asked, eyes locked on Fili's swords, slightly resenting the fact that his own bow would probably never be found.

"I feel that it would be a breach of trust to withhold these from you any longer. The rest of your companions' weapons are held in a safe place under lock and key, and I would have removed them too but it would have been a bit suspicious to be seen carrying so many dwarvish weapons through the palace, and I'm not sure what use they would actually be to you. I also did this without the King's permission - not that there's any other way to do things at the moment - and Legolas doesn't know either. I couldn't find him, and I ought to be back on duty right now, I was only meant to be having a quick break," she paused and glanced towards the door, as if nervous someone might enter, "I'm really not sure why someone confiscated the quill, and the arrowheads were in Fili's pack. I really must go now, but I will skip the lecture about how you shouldn't be exerting yourself by climbing between beds as long as you swear not to do anything rash in the near future,"

"How near is the near future?" asked Kili cheekily, though Tauriel's mention of his excursion had created a crack in the wall he was using to block out the pain, and he felt his ribs give an uncomfortable twinge.

"Forever, preferably," laughed Tauriel, "if I could, I would banish you from making any more reckless decisions for the rest of your life,"

"Not going to happen I'm afraid," he smirked, "believe me, mother has been trying for seventy-seven years,"

"Fine, make that until you leave these halls. While you are here, under my care, I expect you to heal, not gain more injuries. Does that sound realistic?" she asked seriously.

"I'm not making any promises," Kili replied, "but I'll try - at least while you're watching," he grinned again, and Tauriel gave up.

"Just stay in that bed," she sighed, leaning over and adjusting the pillows to help Kili lie more comfortably, before tucking the blankets around him and moving to leave the room, "I'll be back this evening,"

"I'll be right here," said Kili, but as the door closed his smile slowly faded as he found himself alone once more. He had kind of hoped Tauriel would stay a little longer. Then again, if Fili worked quickly he could be out of bed in a matter of days. He stole a glance towards the pair of boughs leaning against his bed and grinned to himself. He hated having to stay in bed, and he hated that everything hurt when he tried to move, and most of all he hated not being able to walk, even if he tried, but here, right here next to him, was his key to freedom.

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><p>Fili began on the crutches that very evening, after returning from his wanderings to find Kili in his bed and all his weapons returned to him. The conversation with Legolas hadn't brightened his spirits, but nor had it dampened them, and when he found out that Kili had managed to get out of bed all by himself he might have felt a bit of guilt for leaving him earlier but it was overrun by his excitement that Kili was on the mend <em>with proof<em>.

He used one of his many knives for whittling the wood, the rest stowed away in his boots once again, and the return of his twin swords had also brightened his mood considerably. As he worked, he managed to keep up a conversation almost single handedly, Kili watching bemused and adding a few words here and there, until Tauriel came in telling Fili to shut up because Túvel was complaining that his singing was disturbing her patients in the next room.

The three of them talked after that, Fili sitting on Kili's (old) bed with a pile of wood shavings by his feet, and Tauriel choosing to stand at the foot of Kili's (new) bed. Fili relayed part of his conversation with Legolas, telling Tauriel of the prince's worries concerning his father, and Tauriel nodded, none of it news to her but only confirming what she already suspected. Then their conversation was cut off abruptly as there was a short knock on the door. Tauriel answered it, and Fili and Kili watched nervously as a guard, clad in similar clothes to what Tauriel had been wearing earlier that day, stepped into the room.

"Rúthen said I would find you here," the guard said, his eyes falling briefly on the two dwarves then moving back to look at Tauriel. It was clear he didn't trust them.

"What is your message, Amras?" Tauriel moved pointedly between Amras and the dwarves, her tone pleasant but with a threatening undertone, as if daring him to say something against them.

"Well, you see, the King requests your presence. Immediately," he replied, and Fili couldn't help but think he sounded smug when he said it.

Tauriel turned pale but did not show any signs of weakness.

"Tell him I am coming," she replied, still holding the authority with a glare that would have made any sensible person tremble, then resolutely turned her back on Amras.

The guard, however, did not leave. "He says you must come immediately, with me," he said.

Tauriel whirled back round to face him. "I will come when I am ready, and not before. Do not forget that I am still your superior, and I am ordering you to leave us now,"

Amras's eyes widened at the deadliness of her gaze, and he gulped before nodding and following her orders without further question.

As soon as he was gone, Tauriel turned back to the dwarves, somewhat deflated, but still with confidence.

"I will get you through this, don't worry," she reassured them, though she herself didn't feel so sure. It was not going to be easy.

"But what about you? What if he dismisses you?" asked Kili, his expression trying to disguise his fear but unable to fool either Fili or Tauriel.

"That is not what matters now," replied Tauriel, though there was an edge of bitterness to her voice as she added, "though I would not be surprised if he does,"

"No, you can't do that for me!" Kili exclaimed, "you can't just give up your life for me, this is my fault not yours,"

"Your life is far more important than my job," said Tauriel quietly, "I would willingly give it up for you a thousand times over if that was what it takes. Do not blame yourself either, none of this is your fault. But hopefully I will have Legolas on my side, so things may go my way yet,"

"But -" Kili started to protest as the elf moved towards the door, but Fili cut him off.

"Tauriel's right, Kili. Have more faith in her,"

Kili looked offended, then ignored Fili and said to Tauriel, "I always have had the utmost faith you. You'll succeed, I know it,"

Tauriel couldn't help noticing how innocent Kili looked at that moment. He really was still a child inside, even if his seventy-seven years spoke differently, and suddenly she knew for certain that she must not fail. It didn't matter what Thranduil did to her, but no one would lay a finger on either dwarf while she walked this earth. If anyone wished to harm them, they would do so over her dead body.


	16. Chapter 16

_Another early update! Success! I have been writing like crazy today, fuelled by wonderful wonderful reviews, so without further ado, here are the people to thank for this unexpected chapter: **GregsMadHatter**, **InezSophia**, __**fixusi**__, **jaymzNshed**, __**leggomygreggo2**__, **tygrislily**, **Bookdancer** and **WandaCarla**, you are all amazing people and it makes me so happy to know that other people are just as invested in this story as I am :)_

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><p>Legolas was wandering higher up than usual, though still in the lower levels, when he heard the commotion and saw an elf running down the passageway towards him. He did not recognise them, but they recognised him.<p>

"Your highness, the King has come out of his chamber!"

"Angry?" Legolas was filled with a sudden dread. His father couldn't have calmed down this fast, so news could only be bad.

The elf nodded, wide eyed. "Very,"

Legolas didn't even pause to thank the elf before sprinting towards the nearest staircase and ascending it three steps at a time. At the top he nearly collided with a healer who was moving between healing rooms but managed to swerve just in time to avoid them, muttering a hasty apology.

Then he was in the entrance hall, and almost at his father's chamber, but before he got there his father was suddenly there in front of him. Legolas skidded to a halt at the corner he had just turned, and took a moment to take in his father's features. None of it spoke well.

"Legolas. I have received information that the dwarves which I told you clearly were _not_ welcome in my halls are currently residing in a healing room in this very palace," Thranduil spoke quietly and menacingly, ice in his every syllable.

"That information is correct, father," Legolas said neutrally, knowing that a lie would be pointless but that if this became an outright argument it would take an entire army to make Thranduil back down.

"Bring them before me," the Elvenking demanded shortly, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

"Father, one of them cannot walk, he can't -" Legolas began to protest, but he was overridden.

"Let the other carry him if needs be," retorted Thranduil, unfazed, "I have already sent Amras to fetch my head guard, whom I am informed has had the most dealings with these strangers. I want both the dwarves kneeling before my throne by the time I have finished questioning her. Now go!"

Legolas dared not argue, but now he was fuming inside. He knew Tauriel was more than capable of standing up to a round of his father's questioning, but if it came down to herself or the dwarves he knew which she would choose. Cursing his friend's selflessness and the blindness of his father, Legolas hurtled across the entrance hall then almost ran into a pillar as he caught a glimpse of flaming red hair out of the corner of his eye. He turned, just in time to see Tauriel hurrying in the opposite direction, and realised he had just run right past her, but as far as he could tell she hadn't noticed him, so he decided not to distract her as she would need all her wits about her for what she was about to endure.

He didn't bother to knock as he entered the healing room where Fili and Kili had been stationed ever since they had arrived, and found them in a state of sullen silence, Fili hacking away at a branch of wood rather more vigorously than was necessary, and Kili staring morosely at the ceiling. They both startled as he came in, and Fili muttered a curse in Khuzdul as his knife slipped from his fingers and clattered to the floor, leaving a small notch in the wood he had been whittling.

Kili sat up remarkably fast and asked immediately, "is Tauriel alright?"

Legolas frowned. "She only just left. What makes you think she wouldn't be?"

"Nothing, I guess," Kili sighed, a bit of tension leaving his shoulders, "I just don't want anything happening to her because of me,"

Fili leaned down to retrieve his knife, then asked "why are you here? Shouldn't you be with your father?" He remembered how Legolas had been worrying about his father's anger only earlier today, and wasn't sure whether the elf would want to talk to Thranduil or avoid him completely in this circumstance.

"He sent me to fetch you," replied Legolas dully, anticipating the response and mentally preparing for it, "he wants you to come before his throne,"

"WHAT? No! Kili can't even walk!" Fili stood up sharply, the knife clattering to the ground once more, forgotten.

Legolas shrugged, wishing he didn't have to play devil's advocate. "That's what I told father, but he didn't listen,"

"Well I'll just go alone then, Kili will stay here whether the Elvenking likes it or not," spat Fili, seething. Why couldn't Thanduil have waited just another week to come out of his chamber? Or at least until the crutches were ready?

"It would not be wise to infuriate the King any more than you have done already," Legolas advised cautiously.

"Ha! We infuriate him by existing! What difference is there if he can see us or not?" Fili laughed bitterly

"No, it's ok, I'll come," came Kili's voice, unusually quiet, and the others looked over at him as if they had forgotten he was there. He was sitting on the very edge of his bed now, one foot already on the floor.

"No! Stay there Kili, I'm not letting you get out of bed. Tauriel said you need to wait at least until the crutches are finished," Fili said urgently, rushing over to his brother and trying to push him back down onto the sheets, but Kili resisted.

"Fili, I need to," he explained earnestly, "otherwise we'll be kicked out of here for sure. Please, just let me try?"

Fili sighed and sat down heavily next to Kili, thinking over his options. There really was no other choice.

"Ok, but if it hurts too much, just say and I'll carry you," he said firmly.

Kili looked at him wryly. "You really think I'd let the Elvenking see me being carried like a baby?"

Fili shrugged, "ok, I guess not. But are you sure you'll be alright?"

"Course I will," replied Kili, grinning to put his brother at ease, "you'll be helping me, right?"

"All the way," confirmed Fili with a smile.

Kili slung his arm around Fili's shoulders, and together they stood up. As a last minute idea, Fili grabbed the crutch that he had been working on and handed it to his brother. It wasn't even half finished, and it was way too long since he had been planning on chopping the top bit off to make the handle, but it worked well enough as a walking stick that Kili could use in the hand that wasn't round his brother.

"Are you ready?" asked Legolas, and both dwarves nodded. "Ok, just follow me,"

* * *

><p>Tauriel entered the throne room with her heart in her mouth. She was pretty sure she knew what was coming - questioning, and accusation. Her one aim, however, stayed clear in her mind and while her stomach churned and her pace quickened from anxiety, she vaguely considered that this was not unlike the feeling she got when going into battle. She knew how to find out for sure: her fingers were usually steadier under pressure. It was the one thing she was most grateful for about herself, because she knew so many elves whose fingers trembled when they got nervous, and of course that was no good for using a bow. Glancing down at her hands, she observed her long, pale fingers, with permanent grooves running across them from hundreds of years of archery, and just as she had expected there was not the slightest tremble.<p>

Elves lined the edges of the hall, afraid to step too far forward but curious to see what was about to happen. Most of her guard were there, plus a few healers and many others who she did not recognise, but she was surprised to see that the throne of exquisitely carven wood, which sat on a small raised area at the opposite end of the hall, was empty, and the King nowhere to be seen. She entered anyway, presuming that she had come to the right place since Amras was standing (looking smug in his guard uniform, she noticed bitterly) next to the chair where Thranduil should be sitting.

"Tauriel,"

Her name boomed across the cavern, the cold voice of the King echoing off the walls around her. She turned round sharply to face Thranduil, who had entered behind her. Forcing herself not to appear disgusted, which was the only thing she could feel about the way the Elvenking had behaved of late, she answered him in a neutral voice.

"You summoned me, your highness?"

Thranduil did not reply until he had crossed the room and seated himself on his throne, looking as intimidating as Tauriel would have believed possible for a person, had she not been the one with the task of imprisoning Thorin Oakenshield barely a week ago.

"I am sure you are well aware of your crimes, Tauriel head of guard?" he asked, but it wasn't a question. Tauriel took it as one, however, answering:

"I am afraid not, your highness. I have done nothing which I do not feel was right or just. I would say that if anyone here has committed a crime, your highness, it is yourself,"

Tauriel maintained unwavering eye contact with the King as she said this, but out of the corner of her eye she spotted Rúthen, who at the last sentence put his head in his hands. She knew she was treading a very fine line, but she could not show weakness or submission if she wanted to even begin to stand up to Thranduil.

Thranduil's eyes narrowed. "I see. You acted on your own judgement. A trait to be admired, were it not directly breaking my orders and fraternising with the enemy,"

"I think you forget who the real enemy is, your highness," replied Tauriel smoothly, "it was orcs that attacked this palace, not dwarves,"

"But who first wandered in my realm without leave? Who first used the path built by my people?"

"Our people," Tauriel corrected through gritted teeth, but Thranduil continued.

"Who were the orcs pursuing in the first place? If those dwarves had never come here then neither would the orcs,"

"It is hardly the dwarves' fault having an orc army on their tail," retorted Tauriel, "and surely that would give us more cause to pity and aid them?"

"Indeed! Stooping to aid in dwarven wars is our business now, is it?" Thranduil raised one eyebrow sarcastically.

"We live in this world. Everything is our business," Tauriel replied shortly, but the King merely sat back on his throne, an unpleasant sneer on his face which the head guard had never seen before but did not like the look of one bit.

Before either of them could say a word more, however, an elf who Tauriel did not recognise burst into the room suddenly, flinging the doors wide and announcing:

"Your highness, the dwarves are here as you requested,"

Tauriel spun round, eyes wide with disbelief and denial. How could Fili and Kili be here? The furthest Kili had walked yet was from one bed to the next, and though there were no stairs between here and the healing room she would not have believed that Kili could make it so far, were he not standing in the doorway, leaning heavily on Fili and with a long wooden staff in one hand.

Legolas stood beside them, tall, proud and refusing to make eye contact with his father. He acknowledged Tauriel grimly as he took a place at the side of the hall, not too near his father's throne, and she gave a small nod in return but did not even attempt a pleasant expression. Her pretence of niceness had been thrown away long ago, and now as she realised the full extent of Thranduil's misunderstanding she felt sick. How could he have ordered Kili to walk this far, when someone surely must have told him that Kili couldn't even leave bed? Why had Legolas brought them? A picture was slowly forming in her head, as she imagined Legolas rushing to find his father, being ordered to bring the dwarves, protesting but ultimately losing, then having no choice but to obey. A twinge of sympathy for the Prince found its way into her heart, and she tried not to imagine how he must be feeling right now.

All eyes in the hall were now glued on the pair of dwarves standing in the tall, arched doorway. Fili had an expression of grim defiance, and Kili looked utterly exhausted but with unwavering determination. They both had Tauriel's utmost respect. And they would have her protection.

"Declare yourselves," commanded Thranduil, looking down his nose at the brothers haughtily.

"Fili and Kili, sons of Dís, nephews of Thorin Oakenshield," Fili answered for both of them, voice ringing clear through the cavernous hall. Next to him, Kili pulled himself up a bit straighter with the stick.

"And what brings you, Fili and Kili, to my realm, to disturb my people and break our peace?"

"A quest," replied Fili bluntly.

"A noble quest? Or one with no end purpose but gold?" inquired Thranduil snidely. Fili's blue eyes narrowed, and Tauriel saw Kili tense up beside him. She herself thought this a bit rich coming from the Elvenking.

"A quest for a homeland," Fili spoke proudly, refusing to be put off. Tauriel admired him for it, but still couldn't see a way this was going to turn out well for either the dwarves or herself.

"So you plan to face a dragon but you can't face a spider without having to come begging for my help? How can you ever believe your quest will end in success? Your companions will be ash before they even reach the mountain," Thranduil sneered. He knew this would aggravate the dwarves, which if all went his way would give him good grounds for locking them up. They were nothing but trouble as far as he was concerned.

Fili ground his teeth, furious that the Elvenking had the nerve to dismiss their whole quest like that. His hands twitched at his sides and he wished he hadn't left his swords in the healing room, however at that moment Kili did something quite unexpected. Dropping his arm from round his brother, he shuffled forward, leaning heavily now on the staff that Fili hadn't yet had time to convert into a crutch, and raised his brown eyes to meet the Elvenking's.

"We have known all along that our quest is dangerous," Kili spoke loudly so everyone in the room could hear, "but we came on it anyway, because it means a lot to us. We would rather die trying to reclaim what is rightfully ours than to live our whole lives without it. I almost did die, and I would have never got a chance to even see my homeland were it not for your people, O great Elvenking. I owe your people a debt I will never be able to repay,"

Fili stared at his brother, disbelieving. Since when had Kili been smooth with words?

"Your strength is commendable," remarked Thranduil, "and your manner is the most respectful I have heard from a dwarf. But you are still a dwarf, no matter how short your beard is, and I have half a mind to banish you here and now and have done with all dealings with your kind. What do you say to that, Kili son of Dís nephew of Thorin Oakenshield?"

"I say that these halls are your own to do with as you please, and if you do not want us here, then so be it," replied Kili, "we have done nothing to deserve your hospitality. I appeal to your compassion and your compassion alone when I remind you that in my condition this cold weather and these foreign lands would be a death sentence,"

From a few feet back, Fili shivered at the thought. He dared not interrupt, because Kili actually seemed to be gaining ground with this and he feared he might ruin everything if he added in his own plea. In the end, however, he was not given the choice.

"You are right that you have done nothing at all to earn my trust or my hospitality," said Thranduil, sounding mildly interested now, which Fili thought could only be a good thing, "and I appreciate your honesty. You have spoken, now has your brother anything to say?"

This Fili took as an opportunity to step forward to be beside Kili, who slung his arm gratefully back around his shoulders.

"Only this," he told Thranduil, "you understand how it feels to lose the one you care for the most. You know the despair and the emptiness inside, like part of you is missing and will never come back. You know what it is to feel a bond between souls, only to have it wrenched apart mercilessly in one fell swoop. What was once strong turns powerless. The one person who makes you alive is dead,"

He paused, and glanced at Legolas. The Prince was keeping a remarkably cool composure, but Fili could have sworn he smiled a little. It was a small thing, and a sad thing, and Fili knew he was thinking of the mother he could barely remember. It was the reaction he had hoped to get. Clearing his throat, he finished his speech:

"I felt like that. I thought Kili had died, and I felt as if something was being physically torn away from me. It is a feeling I would not wish upon my worst enemy,"

Thranduil met Fili's pleading eyes but did not seem to focus on them. Instead, it was as if he was somewhere far away inside his own head, lost to the real world around him. Fili's gaze drifted back over to Legolas, who was watching his father unwaveringly and looking hopeful. As the moments drifted by and Thranduil did not move, however, the tension began to thicken and the elves around the edges of the hall began to fidget and mutter.

"Father?" Legolas spoke up finally, not able to stand the king's silence any longer. Thranduil's eyes snapped to him, and to the surprise of everyone in the room they were filled with a long hidden sorrow, mixed with raw guilt.

"Legolas, my son, forgive me. I have done you wrong," he said, "I should not have cast you away like that,"

Legolas longed to run to his father and forgive him on the spot, to forget all their arguments there and then and start anew, to wash away that look of pain that he so hated to see on his father's face, but somehow he couldn't. That would be betraying Fili and Kili, not to mention Tauriel.

"No, father, you have done me no wrong," he replied, forcing himself to stand still, "but you have wronged these dwarves. They asked for your aid and you denied it, and it nearly cost a life. Now they ask you again, not even for your aid, but for your mercy, and still you deny it them. You say they have done nothing to deserve your sympathy, but what have they ever done to deserve your cruelty?"

Thranduil regarded him for a few moments, ever so slightly taken aback. He could not forget the reasons for his anger, nor could he give in completely. He stood by all he said, but he could not ignore his own son, after everything that had happened between them. These were dwarves, yes, but they were respectful, and somewhere within him some compassion stirred for them. They would not be left to die.

"You are right, Legolas. I have judged too hastily. Fili and Kili, you may stay in these halls until a time comes when you may rejoin your kin, and for now I give you permission to leave my presence. Legolas, would you escort them back to their room?"

"Of course, father," replied Legolas, suppressing a grin until he and the dwarves were out of Thranduil's sight.

As soon as they were back in the entrance hall and heading down the corridor, Legolas now supporting Kili as well, they began to relax.

"Kili that was amazing!" breathed Fili, overcome with relief, "I honestly thought he was going to chuck us out, but you did it brother! You did it!"

"I must say, you did do an impressive job," said Legolas, "was it all improvised?"

"Actually, no," admitted Kili between strained breaths, "I've had a lot of thinking time recently, and after Fili asked Tauriel why she was helping us I began to wonder why the King would ever help us if he ever came out of his room, and I honestly couldn't think of a single good reason that didn't sound like a threat,"

"What do you mean, sound like a threat?" asked Fili, curious.

"Things like 'you'll lose all chances of friendship with the dwarves of Erebor' and 'Thorin will be your enemy forever and not give you any gold' and 'there is an army of dwarves in the Iron Hills who will avenge us', just stuff like that," replied Kili, grunting as Fili shifted his weight to open the door to the healing room.

"Well you're right in assuming that wouldn't have gone down well with my father," Legolas laughed, "you've certainly made a good impression on him anyway,"

"I wouldn't go that far," remarked Fili as he lowered his brother gently onto the bed.

"No, you don't understand," argued Legolas, "he has never said a friendly word towards a dwarf in his life before now, much less allowed them to stay in his palace. Believe me, you impressed him,"

"We have a lot to be thankful for, anyway," said Fili, "and thank you, Legolas, for that last speech of yours. I think that was what finally swayed him,"

"It was nothing," replied Legolas modestly, "I wasn't going to stand there and let him kick you out,"

"But what about Tauriel?" Kili spoke up from his bed, "the King might have let us off, but what if he's still angry with her?"

Legolas met Kili's eyes and both knew they were thinking the same thing.

"I must go back," said Legolas, "if father is angry with Tauriel I can't let him do anything to her,"

Fili and Kili nodded, and with that the Prince turned and left. Fili turned to look at Kili, who was staring up at the ceiling, his face pale and drawn with pain.

"I guess I'd better hurry up making those crutches then, huh?" he said, and Kili smiled and turned his head to face him.

"Yeah, but I think I'll take a break from standing up to angry Elven kings from now on, don't you think?" he replied, "it's quite an exhausting business,"

Fili laughed and picked up the knife from the floor, settling himself on the other bed where his twin swords still lay.

"I hope Tauriel's alright," he said quietly.

Kili nodded. "Yeah, me too,"


	17. Chapter 17

_Woah! Is this 2-days-between-updates becoming a regular thing? How long will it last? Um, truthfully, probably not long, but we can all dream :)_

_Firstly, and most importantly (as always), I would like to honour my wonderful reviewers: __**GregsMadHatter**__, __**sarah0406**__, __**InezSophia**__, __**Syblime**__, __**jaymzNshed**__, __**WandaCarla**__, __**fixusi**__ and __**leggomygreggo2**__._

_Next I would like to warn you that while writing this chapter I had a very short concentration span so...yeah...not sure what effect that has had. I kept walking away then forgetting what I'd written so far and having to reread it again, and several things happened in this chapter that even I didn't expect so maybe it's turned out a bit random, and maybe lots of stuff happens quite fast, but I hope you'll like it anyway :)_

_Also, I am going by a confusing mixture of the book and the film when it comes to Thorin and co, in Laketown. Timescales are from the book (they spend about 2 weeks in Laketown, then another week travelling towards the mountain) but they are staying at Bard's house. Don't ask me why, I have no idea, it was just what came out of my head. Also the orcs don't arrive like they do in the film, or maybe they do but they don't track the dwarves to Bard's house and so we never see them. Basically I'm too lazy to fit them in, and I don't see much point. I haven't included much on the company anyways, and maybe I'm just making it more confusing, so sorry about that! And sorry for the long author's note, on with the story!_

* * *

><p>Tauriel watched Legolas lead the dwarves away with slight resentment. She was overjoyed that they had managed to persuade Thranduil to let them stay, and she was also glad that the King had made up with Legolas as she knew how much it meant to the Prince, but she knew that once they were gone she would be in the spotlight again, and Legolas, her biggest defender, had just left the room.<p>

"Tauriel,"

She turned reluctantly back to face the King, and moved forward slightly so she was directly opposite him. His face was less angry than it had been before, but there was still something unpleasant in his smirk.

"I have allowed the dwarves to stay, but that does not excuse your crimes. You abandoned your post, left your warriors to die in battle and directly disobeyed orders," announced Thranduil, and Tauriel felt a pang of foreboding, dreading his next words. "I now officially strip you of your position and rank as Head of Mirkwood Guard. Rúthen, you are promoted. Amras, second in command,"

There was immediate uproar from all the guards around the side of the room, Rúthen at the head of it, but Amras just stood smugly by Thranduil's side. Tauriel narrowed her eyes at him - she knew he had only been given the post because he was a suck-up to the King.

"You can't dismiss Tauriel like that!" Rúthen was shouting, "she's the best of us by far, and the best leader!"

"If she was a good leader she would not have abandoned you just before a battle," the Elvenking retorted coldly.

"She didn't abandon us, she found out about the orcs and sent a warning. You were the one who didn't listen!" Rúthen pointed an accusing finger at the King, but Thranduil gave him a look which made him fall silent and take a step back.

"My word is final," the Elvenking told him cuttingly, "I advise you not to argue further or you risk losing your post as well,"

Rúthen hung his head in submission, but risked an apologetic glance at Tauriel. She smiled back wistfully, honoured by his loyalty but knowing she didn't deserve it. She had abandoned them before the battle whichever way you spun it, and the guilt had been gnawing at her for days, but she guessed this was retribution of a kind. It even relieved the guilt ever so slightly.

Another guard, however, spoke up bravely: "your highness, the next in line for the second in command position was Nienna, not Amras,"

Now Thranduil turned his icy stare on the guard who dared speak against him, but several other guards had also joined in to back him up. Nienna was pushed forward to the front of the group, where she stood next to Rúthen, looking her most defiant, but Thranduil did not even flinch. Amras, if possible, looked even smugger.

"I thought I made it clear that my word is final," said Thranduil, venom dripping from his voice, "Amras is second in command, and I will hear no more on the matter,"

With that, he rose majestically from his throne, strode across the room and out of the doors, only to come face to face with Legolas.

"Father...?" began the Prince, glancing worriedly into the throne room, but Thranduil replied:

"I will see you tomorrow, Legolas. I have many things which demand my attention right now, but I will talk with you in the morning,"

Legolas nodded and let his father pass, then hurried into the throne room to find out what had gone on in his absence. The first person he noticed was Tauriel, looking pensive and even a bit forlorn, which was not like her at all.

"Tauriel, are you ok?" he approached her, concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied with a shrug, "you didn't miss much. Is Kili alright?"

"You should come and see him, he is just as anxious to hear from you," said Legolas, walking with Tauriel out of the throne room and towards the healing rooms, "was my father angry after I left? He didn't punish you?"

"Depends on what you mean by punish," answered Tauriel, her fingers playing with her hair distractedly, "I'm no longer head of guard,"

"WHAT?" exclaimed Legolas, infuriated, "that's not fair! He can't do that!"

"Of course he can, he's the King," Tauriel reminded him, "and it's not as if I don't deserve it,"

"What? No! You don't mean you're still blaming yourself for missing the battle?" asked Legolas, "that wasn't your fault! If it's anyone's fault it's mine for not carrying the message. But you can't blame yourself like that, you saved Kili's life! Does that not count for anything?"

"Yes, but Enelya died, and many more. I might have saved one life, but it was at the cost of others," Tauriel replied quietly. Her eyes met Legolas's, and he knew there was no changing her mind. No one could make her stop blaming herself, except herself. He could only trust that she would figure it out in the end.

"That's all very well, but it doesn't give my father grounds for demoting you. You earned your rank a thousand times over, and don't forget the number of times you've saved my life," he pointed out.

"You only return the favour," Tauriel smiled, "and anyway, Rúthen will make a good head of guard,"

"Not as good as you though," said Legolas glumly.

"But he will," insisted Tauriel, "I feel sorry for Nienna though. That second-in-command post should be rightfully hers,"

Legolas frowned, "who got it instead?"

"Amras," Tauriel spat out the name bitterly.

"He _what_? That stuck up, sneaking little son of a goblin! I will be telling him just what I think about that later," exclaimed Legolas, but they had reached the door to the healing room so he stopped to open it for Tauriel.

As they entered, Kili sat up abruptly in bed then sank down again, clutching his head. Fili hastily asked if he was alright, but Kili answered that he was just a little faint, that was all. Then Fili paused in his work to look up at the pair of elves who had just come into the room.

"What happened?" Fili asked, looking at Legolas, because where Tauriel's face betrayed no hint that anything was amiss, the Prince looked slightly agitated and that was all that Fili needed to know that something had happened after they had left.

"I lost my job," Tauriel answered simply, inciting an immediate response from Kili.

"No! You can't have, you've done nothing wrong, this is my fault, I'm so sorry, I -"

"Stop, Kili!" Tauriel told him firmly, "it was nothing to do with you. I left my post just before the orcs attacked, that is why Thranduil was angry with me,"

"But that means it's my fault," said Fili guiltily, "I asked you to go looking for Kili,"

"Don't say you regret that," Tauriel raised her eyebrows, "Kili would be long dead if you hadn't told me he was missing,"

"So basically there was nothing that any of us could have done," Legolas backed her up, "and there is nothing to be done now. I will try and change my father's mind tomorrow, but there is very little chance he will be persuaded,"

"Thank you," Tauriel smiled at Legolas, who grimaced.

"I can't promise anything,"

At that moment, however, there was a great disturbance as the door swung wide open and six members of the Mirkwood Palace Guard came tumbling in, including Rúthen and Nienna. Rúthen came last, and as he shut the door behind his back he shot Tauriel an apologetic look, which she shrugged off. Many of the guards gave Fili and Kili curious glances, to which Kili smiled and Fili glared, but none of them paid the dwarves much heed.

"Tauriel we're so sorry!"

"The King shouldn't have done that to you, that was so unfair!"

The two elves who spoke first could only be brothers. Golradir and Gildor were some of the more experienced guard members and though they were not twins they might as well have been; Golradir was older by merely two years, the blink of an eye in the life of an elf.

"I am honoured by all your loyalty," replied Tauriel, looking round the group, "but I'm afraid none of us can do anything to change the King's mind. Rúthen is your leader now,"

"Not by choice," Rúthen said through gritted teeth, "and Amras is certainly not my choice second in command,"

At this, Tauriel noticed Nienna looking at the ground, fists curling and uncurling at her sides.

"Actually, that you can do something about," pointed out Tauriel, "the second in command only does the bidding of the leader, and has no actual authority unless they are given it, or if the first in command is out of action,"

"So all you've got to do is be omnipresent," commented a guard named Lenwë, winking at Rúthen, "not much to ask, really,"

"No, all I've got to do is give Nienna the authority when I'm off duty and schedule the shifts so that Amras is never on without me," Rúthen said, revelation dawning in his face, "genius!"

Tauriel shrugged modestly, "it does mean that you get to see an awful lot of Amras if you do that. But it's one way of getting round things,"

"Wait - did you ever do that to me?" asked Rúthen, suddenly suspicious.

"No, but when we came back from that long mission southwards and you had a sprained ankle I had to do it to stop Amras bossing everyone about when neither of us were there," replied Tauriel with a sly smile, "to be honest, I should have just dismissed him then, when I had the chance. Now he's too cosy with the King to be dismissed,"

"If only we could expose him for a crime, that would put him in his place," mused Gildor, but Galradir shook his head.

"I doubt he's ever broken a rule in his life, the little suck-up,"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Legolas spoke at last, "you'd be surprised what lengths people go to just to be recognised,"

"You know something?" asked Gildor eagerly, but Legolas shook his head quickly.

"No, I'm afraid I don't, but I do know from experience that some people do some weird things for Royal attention. For example, this one time, someone - I'm not allowed to say who - sneaked into my room in the dead of night with a diamond pendant that belonged to my father and left it on my table with a note saying they'd wrestled it from a thief, along with their own name and the price they demanded as a reward. It turned out that they had stolen it themselves and it was all an elaborate plot to be rewarded by the King. Needless to say, they are now behind bars with a hefty fine to pay,"

"It's true," Fili said unexpectedly, "Uncle Thorin always told us funny stories from before the dragon came, when girls used to do all sorts of embarrassing things just to get him to notice them,"

"Come to think of it, maybe that's why he never married," added in Kili, "got put off girls at a young age. I would too, if one of them shaved my name into her beard,"

"I'm sorry _what_?" exclaimed Legolas, staring at the dwarves, who were now in fits of laughter.

"Believe me, that's not the worst," Fili told him when he had calmed down enough to speak.

"Really, you don't want to know the rest," agreed Kili, "just be thankful your kind don't have facial hair,"

"But back to the original question," Tauriel said pointedly, though unable to quite cover up a smile, "it would not be fair to get Amras in trouble just because his head is too big. He may not deserve his job, but neither does he deserve to be locked up,"

"But he _might_ deserve it," argued Lenwë, "he might be secretly plotting against the whole kingdom and we just don't know about it,"

"Really?" Tauriel replied, one eyebrow raised in exasperation.

"I agree with Tauriel. It's not fair to go looking for stuff to get Amras in trouble," Nienna spoke up at last, "whatever low means he used to get my post, it would be dishonourable to sink lower just for the sake of getting it back,"

"Well said," agreed Rúthen, looking pointedly at Gildor, "no looking for trouble. This is Nienna's fight, not yours, and if she chooses to play it respectfully then you are not to ruin that. Understood?"

"Understood," sighed Gildor, and his brother nodded approvingly and patted him on the shoulder.

That was the moment Fili's knife chose to slip. The eight elves in the room all turned suddenly as a string of choice Khuzdûl came from Fili's mouth, leaving Kili halfway between shock and uncontrollable laughter, the end result becoming a weird hiccup noise followed by a choke. As Tauriel rushed forward to stop Kili coughing his lungs out, Fili put his bleeding finger in his mouth sulkily then got up and went to the basin to wash it, burning at the humiliation of cutting himself in front of so many elves, all of whom, he guessed, were better with a knife than he was.

"You know, I would like to know a little more about these dwarves you have just sacrificed your post for, Tauriel," came the voice of the only elf in the room who hadn't spoken yet.

Tauriel looked up from Kili to see Elu, the cousin of Enelya, standing before her, a look not unlike accusation in his face. She understood why all too well. But there was nothing to be done about it now.

"Why don't you ask them yourself?" she suggested, glancing at Kili who was looking at her with uncertainty as to whether Elu was friendly or not. She gave him a reassuring smile.

Elu gave her one last glare before shaking his sand-coloured hair back behind his shoulders and taking a step back, warily eyeing Fili, who was still running his finger under the tap.

"Small bindings are in the cupboard right above you," Tauriel said to him.

Fili reached up to open the cupboard above the basin, but though he was tall enough to swing the doors wide he could not reach the small pile of little bandages however hard he tried. Kili sniggered from the bed, and Fili shot him back an irritated look which shut him up.

Legolas, who was the nearest, strode over and reached up easily for the bandages and handed one to Fili, who thanked him and bound it tightly round his finger. Then, finally, Elu plucked up the courage to speak to the dwarves directly.

"Um...so...who are you? I mean, we know your names, and that you're the dwarf king's nephews, but, you know, apart from that?" he asked.

Fili and Kili stared at him, puzzled. "I'm not sure I do know," replied Fili with a frown, sitting back on the bed and picking up the knife once again.

"Well...there have never been dwarves staying here before. What are dwarves like?" Elu questioned, to be met with even more incredulous stares.

"Um..." began Fili, then looked at Kili helplessly.

"Actually, we're all different, you see," Kili explained, not sure if he had interpreted the question correctly, but Elu seemed interested so he continued, "take Dwalin for instance. He's the toughest warrior there ever was. But then there are dwarves like Ori, whose best weapon is a quill. And there's Bofur, who has the unique ability to be annoyingly optimistic, but there's also Uncle Thorin, who hardly ever smiles. Uncle Thorin likes to keep himself to himself, but he cares about all his people and always puts their needs before his own. He likes to wield a sword best, but he was also the finest archer back in Ered Luin,"

"Apart from you," said Fili with a grin. No one could ever beat his uncle with a sword, but when it came to archery Kili was by far the superior.

"You're an archer?" Lenwë asked Kili, curious.

"Only the best," Fili answered for his brother, and Kili raised his eyebrows at him.

"There's not much competition among dwarves though," he argued, "I wasn't just the best archer in Ered Luin, I was the only archer in Ered Luin,"

"Nonsense, you beat Uncle," retorted Fili, "and everyone knows he was the best for his age back in Erebor,"

"There probably wasn't much competition there either," said Kili, "and he was the Prince, they had to let him win,"

"People never let us win sparring competitions just because we're princes," pointed out Fili, but Kili snorted.

"We weren't in our kingdom, that doesn't count,"

"Ahem..." Legolas attempted to break up the bickering, and the brothers fell silent. He nodded to Rúthen, who then spoke.

"If you want, when you're able, we could arrange a competition. Not a big one, just a little friendly contest between you and us,"

"Will there be sword fighting as well?" asked Kili, a slow grin spreading over his face, "if I'm going to make a fool of myself in front of you lot I'm not letting Fili miss out on the fun,"

"I'm sure that can be arranged," replied Legolas, "I wouldn't want Fili to miss out either," he raised an eyebrow at Fili and surreptitiously drummed his fingers against the sword at his side. Fili narrowed his eyes with a smirk, hand hovering protectively over the twin swords which lay next to him on the bed.

"Just be sure to invite Amras along," said Tauriel slyly, "I think we'd all like to see him put in his place by a dwarf,"

Nienna laughed, "or maybe Kili can _accidentally_ miss the target and hit him instead,"

"Sorry, can't do that," said Kili, jokingly "when it comes to missing the bullseye, I am sadly out of practise,"

"You'll just have to beat him then," said Gildor, "when are we going to have this competition anyway?"

At this, all eyes turned to Kili, who shrunk back from all the stares, looking hopefully at Tauriel.

"One week, at least," Tauriel replied, and watched Kili's face fall, "probably more. It doesn't take any running about to shoot a bow and arrow, but your ribs shouldn't be put under any more strain than is necessary, and you'll want some time to get back into it,"

This was met with nods of assent from the guard, and an accepting sigh from Kili, then Rúthen spoke up.

"We should be going. This was actually our time to change shifts, and we don't need another reason for the King to intervene with how we do things,"

Tauriel nodded, "no, you certainly don't. I will let you know as soon as a day can be fixed for the competition,"

"Thanks," said Rúthen, "and sorry for disturbing you here in the first place,"

"No, that's alright, at least it will prevent Kili from dying of boredom," answered Fili with a sideways grin at his brother.

As the guards filed out of the room, the last one to linger behind was Nienna. She looked at Tauriel imploringly.

"Will you be coming back?"

Tauriel sighed, and looked at her feet before lifting her gaze back to her friend.

"No," she replied, "sorry, Nienna,"

Nienna shrugged, "I thought you'd say that. But you'll always be welcome back if you change your mind,"

With that she turned and left, and the only people who now remained in the room were the ones who had been there to start with.

"You're leaving the guard for good?" Legolas asked Tauriel, frowning. He knew how much protecting the people meant to her, and hadn't expected her to give up just like that.

"It seems that the Valar do not want it," replied Tauriel, "many things are changing, Legolas, and I will not go against destiny by desperately clinging on to the things I am familiar with. From now on, the only way forwards is into the unknown,"

"If you say so," said the Prince, not quite understanding, but accepting the reason nonetheless.

"I must go and clear up a few things," Tauriel now excused herself, and walked out of the room without so much as a backward glance.

Legolas glanced at the dwarves, then said, "I should find my father. There are things which cannot wait for the morning to be discussed," and followed hastily after Tauriel, leaving Fili and Kili alone in the room once more.

"That ended quickly," commented Kili.

"That competition's something to look forward to, though," Fili said with another glance at his swords.

"Yeah, but you're forgetting one thing," said Kili rather glumly, causing Fili to look at him sharply.

"What?"

"I lost my bow in the forest, and my quiver, and my coat which had all my arrow making stuff in the pockets,"

Fili stared at him, a sudden shadow cast over the competition day.

"Then how are you going to compete? No, forget that, where are you even going to get a new bow at all? Do you think they'll let you borrow an elvish one?"

"No, and even if they did I wouldn't be able to use it. You've seen the length of the bows they have here. I doubt there will be any bows left in Erebor either, they'll have either rotted or been burned by the dragon. And it's not as if we know anyone who can make a good one from scratch,"

"And even if we did, it could still take a long time," Fili mused.

They fell into silence, each thinking the same thing. It would be a long time before Kili had a bow again.

"Why couldn't I have been better at a dwarvish weapon," Kili sighed eventually.

"Because that would be what people expected," answered Fili after a pause, "and we both know you never do what people expect,"

They fell silent once more, and this time it lasted. After a while Fili ceased work on the crutch, lay back on the bed and fell asleep there and then, swords still lying at his side. Kili followed soon after, into a realm of blissful oblivion.

* * *

><p>"Thorin, we cannot delay any longer!" Balin persisted, drumming his fingertips impatiently on Bard's solid wooden table.<p>

"We cannot rush our departure," Thorin argued back, "we cannot enter Erebor unprepared,"

"We are as prepared as we ever will be," retorted Oin from the armchair, "you just don't want to leave without Fili and Kili,"

"So what if I don't?" Thorin turned on him, angry, "they deserve to be with us when we reclaim our home of old, Fili especially. He should be the first to enter the halls he will one day rule, not tagging behind with _elves_ of all people,"

"Yes but what can we do about that?" snapped Balin, "they said themselves in their letters it will be weeks at least before Kili is travelling again, and we don't have weeks, Thorin! Durin's day is approaching, and we still have to get to the Lonely Mountain,"

"We should send a messanger," murmured Thorin, pacing up and down the small room, then trailed off in deep thought.

"What?" Balin raised his eyebrows, demanding that Thorin come back to the present and share his musings.

"If we could just send a message back to the elves demanding that they bring my nephews immediately -"

"No. That's ridiculous Thorin," Balin put his foot down, "you seem to forget that it is not the elves who are holding them back, it is Kili's injuries. He cannot travel even if the elves allow it, you read his letter to Oin, you should know better than to suggest he travels before he is ready,"

"Damn those stupid letters!" exclaimed Thorin suddenly, "it is all very well assuring us that everything is fine on a piece of paper, but it doesn't actually bring Fili and Kili any closer to us!"

From the floor where he was scribbling frantically in his notebook (with a borrowed quill), Ori reached a hand into his inside pocket to check that his letter was still there. No matter what the leader said about the letters being useless, the scribe was not one to overlook the importance of written words - they were second only to face to face conversation, and gave him all the reassurance he needed that Fili and Kili were both ok. Glancing across to Bilbo, who sat glumly on the other side of the room (glum because Bard had forbidden them from smoking pipes inside his house, and it was raining outside) Ori managed to catch the hobbit's attention, and they shared an internal sigh. He looked pleadingly at Bilbo, silently imploring him to break up the argument, and it seemed that Bilbo got the message, because a moment later he got to his feet, ready to knock some sense into Thorin's thick, stubborn, dwarvish skull whether the King Under The Mountain liked it or not.

"Now look here, do you want to get your home back or not?" he said loudly, standing with his hands on his hips and glaring at Thorin, who was too surprised to glare back, "Durin's day isn't going to wait for us, you know,"

"Hear hear," praised Balin, "I'm glad someone round here has some common sense,"

Bilbo nodded graciously at the compliment, but kept his eyes locked with Thorin's blue ones. He even ventured to raise an eyebrow.

Eventually he had to break eye contact, because to be quite honest it made him feel very uncomfortable to hold a staring competition for so long, especially if the person he was staring at had such unnerving blue eyes which contrasted so starkly with the heavy black eyebrows.

Thorin looked at the hobbit with mild interest. Bilbo had always been a practical thinker, and, as the hobbit had been so many times recently, he was right. Of course, Thorin had known all along that he would be faced with no other choice but to leave without his nephews, and it wasn't as if he really was leaving them this time, because he had already left them; the choice had already been made almost two weeks ago when they had fled down the river, but he still felt bad about it. Mostly because of the elves. He couldn't stand the thought that his nephews were being taken care of by that race, his sworn enemies, the people who he was the most wary of in all of Middle Earth. Trusting that Fili and Kili would be safe in a palace full of them, their King having so recently locked his whole company up without hesitation, went against his whole nature. But Bilbo was right.

Thorin gave a great sigh and spoke.

"Fine, we leave in two days," he announced, to be met with exclamations of relief, "get a good rest tonight, we will need all of tomorrow to prepare,"

Bilbo supposed he should be relieved at this as well, since he had been the one to bring it about after all, but if anything he felt even more uncomfortable. There was one thing that no one had yet pointed out: one of them would have to stay behind and wait for Fili and Kili. He couldn't help but wonder who it would be, and sincerely hoped that Bard would not mind. He felt it was all a bit careless, as if they were leaving a trail of dwarves all the way from Mirkwood to Erebor - which in a way they were - and he didn't like it. After all, they were few enough as it was. But in the end there was nothing else to be done.


	18. Chapter 18

_Half term officially ends today, but my school has a teacher training day tomorrow, so I get one more day to spend as much time as I like writing this, yay! Sometimes, when I'm in a real writing mood, I feel more as if I'm reading it than writing it because things happen that I didn't even plan before I saw the sentence on the screen, and then they lead to even more random unplanned things that often turn out better than what I'd planned in the first place. Hurray for randomness!_

_But of course, all my best ideas I get from your reviews, which keep my imagination from running away with itself and getting nothing done, so shout outs for last chapter go to: **InezSophia**, **Ximena13**, **jaymzNshed**, **tygrislily**, **leggomygreggo2**, **Kurai** **Ai** **1809**, **fixusi**, **GregsMadHatter**, **Syblime** and **WandaCarla**._

_I often write just before tea time. That's my excuse for the prominence of food in this chapter, and probably the chapters to come. I was hungry, ok!_

* * *

><p>If Kili had hoped that Tauriel would spend more time with him now that she did not have guard duties, he was to be disappointed. If anything, she was spending even less time indoors, preferring to go out into Mirkwood at every opportunity. Most evenings she came in sporting several new rips to her clothes, small scratches on her face and so much foliage in her hair that Kili was surprised a bird hadn't made a nest in it yet. By the third evening, he was beginning to be slightly concerned for the elf, and he could see that Legolas was too, whenever the Prince dropped by at the same time as Tauriel.<p>

Fili was too preoccupied with the crutches to pay any attention to anything else. Kili supposed he was slightly grateful for this, and it was nice that Fili was now spending almost all day in the room with him, but for all the company he was being it was hardly an improvement. He could not work out what had brought about this change in his brother, but it seemed Fili wanted to concentrate all his energy into the crutches and nothing would distract him from completing his goal. Then there were also times when he would sit completely still, deep in thought, and nothing would rouse him short of yelling in his ear. It was puzzling, and Kili hoped it would pass of its own accord.

Legolas had not been able to sway his father's decision concerning Tauriel. He had tried at the first opportunity, but it was soon clear to him that there was nothing he could do, and that arguing with his father would only break open the rift between them once more, just when it seemed to be healing so well. During the day he was busy with advanced preparations for a great feast that would be held in just under two weeks time, in honour of Varda, the lady of the stars, called Meleth en Gilith - the feast of starlight. It was a festival that would have been held one week before, but the preparations had been cut short first by the unexpected arrival and sudden departure of the dwarves, then the attack of the orcs, and finally the disappearance of the King, so the whole thing had been postponed until things were back to normal again. While things were not strictly normal yet, they were as normal as they were going to be for the foreseeable future, so the preparations had recommenced and were now in full swing.

On the evening of the fifth day after the Elvenking had approved the dwarves stay, Tauriel did not return from the forest. Kili waited anxiously while Fili put the finishing touches to the crutches, but the room grew dark and still Tauriel did not come. After a while he endeavoured to voice his concern.

"Fili?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think Tauriel's alright?"

"Why wouldn't she be?"

"She's normally back by now,"

Fili glanced up from his work, as if only just noticing how dim the light was.

"You're right, she is. But I still don't see any need to worry about her," he reassured Kili.

"But what if something's happened to her in the forest?"

"It won't have, she knows Mirkwood. And there's also the possibility that she's returned without coming here,"

"I guess," Kili replied despondently. He knew Tauriel was way too good to run into trouble in Mirkwood, but the idea that she might return and not stop by at the healing room made him feel somewhat dejected. He tried to ignore the feeling, but he couldn't help it. It hurt.

* * *

><p>Tauriel did not return that morning either. A very anxious Legolas gave a flying visit to check that the dwarves had not seen her either, before hastily leaving even more worried than before. Fili finished the crutches, but Kili did not have the heart to even try them; after the poignant lack of Tauriel for over twenty four hours he was barely eating, let alone trying to walk. Now it was Fili's turn to try and incite a response from Kili, by telling jokes, imitating various dwarves, imitating various elves, and even threatening to shave Tauriel's name into Kili's sad excuse for a beard, but nothing would rouse the younger dwarf, who only grew more and more distant throughout the day.<p>

Finally, around mid-afternoon, Fili gave up and sank back down onto his bed to start carving an intricate little pattern into the handle of one of the crutches. He didn't pay attention to what the shape was growing into, but merely let his fingers continue without his mind. It was only once the pattern was nearly finished that he realised with a bolt of horror that he had in fact been carving a spider's web, spanning in thin grooves almost halfway across the handle of the crutch. He hastily put his knife aside and leaned the crutch against the wall next to its pair, not trusting himself to do anything more on it today, and sat back on the bed, hugging his knees to his chest and staring at the blank wall opposite.

It was like this that Legolas found the pair of dwarves an hour later, when he came in to inform them that Tauriel had been glimpsed by a patrol in the forest, but had disappeared before she could be followed. It had been quite close to the Elven path, and nothing had seemed amiss, so it was to be assumed that all was well. After taking in the gloomy atmosphere of the room, and gathering that this was how both brothers had spent their whole day, Legolas decided to stay awhile and in the end spent over an hour talking with Fili, who gradually became more relaxed as he enjoyed the company that Kili had been stubbornly not providing all day.

Just as it started to grow dark, it occurred to Legolas that neither dwarf had been seen in the kitchens that day (one of the kitchen staff had informed him of this earlier) so he suggested to Fili that they went and got something to eat. At first Fili had been reluctant to leave Kili on his own, but then Kili had told them to go and not to bother bringing him back anything because he wasn't hungry, so together Fili and Legolas went down to the kitchens, and left Kili alone in the healing room.

The evening light disappeared fast, and barely minutes after Fili and Legolas had left, Kili found himself in darkness and unable to reach the candle that stood, unlit, on the table at the other side of the room. He thought about trying to use the crutches to get it, but then dismissed the idea. Tauriel had made him promise not to leave bed again without her permission, and since she was not here to give that order, he supposed he would just have to stay in bed until she returned. Surprisingly, it didn't bother him. Somehow he didn't care any more whether he stayed in bed for the rest of his life.

As the door creaked open, he did not bother to even turn his head. He supposed it was just Fili returning from the kitchens, and whether Legolas was with him or not he didn't know and didn't care. They could keep their grown-up, serious conversations, he wasn't going to have anything to do with the elf who did not try hard enough to get Tauriel her job back. Even Bilbo could stand up to Thorin better than the Elven Prince could stand up to his father. Actually, maybe that was a little unfair. Bilbo did have more nerve than anyone gave him credit for. But still.

"Kili?"

At the sound of that voice, Kili sat up faster than anyone would have believed possible for a person whose ribs were only half healed. Immediately, his eyes fell on the figure in the doorway, tall and slender with hair the colour of autumn leaves tumbling wildly out of a loose plait down her back. Her hands were the same colour as her dirty brown sleeves. There was a gash down one of her arms, though it didn't seem too deep and had already formed a scab. Her face bore scratches, and more than a little dirt, but it was smiling.

"Where have you been?" Kili demanded. His face was not a smile, not even a childish pout. He was angry.

Tauriel's face fell at the unexpected reaction. "I was in the forest," she began, but Kili cut her off.

"Tauriel, you had us all worried sick! No one knew where you were! You could have been dead for all I knew. Did you not think to warn us that you would be gone for so long? Do you even care for my sanity? Why didn't you come back sooner?"

"Kili," Tauriel stopped him, and they stared at each other, Tauriel's eyes pleading for understanding, Kili's eyes searching for answers. The candle that Tauriel had just lit flickered in both their gazes.

"Why?" asked Kili quietly.

"I had to get away for a while," replied Tauriel, "and there was something I wanted to do,"

"What?"

Tauriel did not answer, but instead pulled from behind her what looked like a heavy, ripped piece of cloth. Kili stared at it in incomprehension, then suddenly his eyes widened in recognition. It was the coat that he had lost in the forest. He looked at Tauriel in wonder, and she took that as the prompt to bring out the next object she had found. From one of her many pockets she produced a fine carven pipe, engraved with dwarvish runes. She handed it carefully over to Kili, who inspected it meticulously, running his fingers over the well known grooves and notches carved by his brother. Finally he reached up behind him and balanced it gently on the headboard of the wooden bed, before turning back to Tauriel to see what she had in store for him next.

Barely a second later, an empty quiver was dumped unceremoniously at the end of his bed, muddy water dripping out of the end of it and onto the floor.

"Sorry, there were two arrows left and I used them to dispatch some spiders," Tauriel apologised, "I must say, you do make good arrows, though they were a bit on the short side,"

Kili shrugged modestly, but the grin on his face spoke his true feelings. He waited a moment to see if the elf was going to produce anything else, but when nothing came forth his hopes began to waver. His face fell as he realised he would have to ask, even though he already guessed the answer.

"Did - did you find my bow?"

"Sort of," replied Tauriel with a grimace, and before Kili could ask what she meant she reached behind her once more and retrieved a long splintered piece of wood. Despite the dirt and the cracks and the fact that there was only half of it, Kili recognised it immediately. His heart sank to his feet.

"That's all that's left?" he asked, though again he knew the answer.

Tauriel nodded slowly, "I asked at the woodcraft workshops, and they said it's beyond repair,"

She watched as Kili seemed to shrink a little into himself. She couldn't bear seeing him like this, but she hadn't stopped at the woodcraft workshops on the way here just to get the bow examined. She grinned even as she thought about it.

"What?" frowned Kili, not understanding what there was to be pleased about.

"The best bow-maker in Mirkwood happens to be a good friend of mine," said Tauriel with a smirk, "and I have asked him to make an exact replica immediately. It will be finished in good time before the competition,"

Kili's mouth dropped open. "Really? You mean, you just asked him like that? And he said yes?"

Tauriel shrugged, "being head of guard gave me a lot of useful connections, and just because I don't have the job any more doesn't mean I've lost them all,"

"Wow - I mean - thank you! How can I ever thank you enough? I thought I wasn't going to hold a bow ever again - or at least until Erebor's rebuilt - wow, thank you!" Kili managed to blurt out, then he added, "it didn't cost you anything, did it?" He hadn't really thought about the currency in this kingdom until now, simply accepting the free food and care and clothes and everything really, but now he came to think of it, things were never completely free, and he was sure there must be a currency here. Could Tauriel afford him a new bow when she had just lost her job?

Tauriel laughed, and shook her head. "The head of guard gets special priority for weapons requests, and gets it free as well,"

"But you're not head of guard any more," Kili frowned, and Tauriel looked sheepish.

"I might have...um...told them it was on Rúthen's orders..." she grinned.

Kili shook his head in mock disapproval, barely suppressing a laugh. "Tut tut, I would never have guessed you were a rule breaker, mistress Tauriel,"

Tauriel raised one eyebrow, and Kili regarded her for a moment. "Ok, I'll take that back. Are there any rules you haven't broken?"

The elf laughed, then said "I don't think Rúthen will mind - in fact I'm sure he'd approve. After all, it won't be much of a competition if you have to use a bow taller than yourself,"

Kili sank back into the sheets and let the revelation wash over him, soaking him head to foot in pure joy. It was more than he could ever have hoped for.

"Thank you," he breathed again, "when Erebor's reclaimed I will personally make sure plenty of gold is sent here,"

"I'm not sure Thranduil would have it otherwise," commented Tauriel with a chuckle, "but it's good to know we won't have to declare war in order to get it,"

It was then that the door opened and a delicious smell wafted in, closely followed by Fili and Legolas, who stopped short at the sight of Tauriel. There was a tense pause, followed by an outcry of relief.

"You idiot!" Legolas exclaimed, before bounding over to Tauriel in a flurry of Sindarin.

Tauriel stood calmly through it all, before cutting him off in Westron, "yes, Kili has already made that clear to me. I promise I won't do it again,"

Legolas stood for a moment, slightly annoyed to have been stopped in his rant, but then shrugged and said, "ok. But I think you ought to go and let Rúthen know you're back, you gave us all quite a scare,"

"He knows," Tauriel replied, "I saw him on my way back from the workshops,"

Legolas frowned, "what were you doing there?"

"Ordering Kili's new bow. His old one is beyond repair," said Tauriel casually.

Legolas nodded but didn't question how she had found the authority, then suddenly brought a thick slice of cake to his mouth and took a large bite.

Tauriel frowned, "where did you get that?"

It was Fili who answered: "they're practising for the feast. Apparently it's a new recipe and they haven't got it right yet so they were giving it away,"

"I'd say they've got it right already," mumbled Kili through a mouthful of crumbs, "never let it be said again that elvish food is bland,"

Fili grinned. He had known Kili wouldn't refuse the cake once he brought it, so he had taken an extra slice for his brother.

"I hope they never get it right," he commented, "so there'll be an endless supply of practice cakes,"

"You should go and get some," Legolas told Tauriel, "you look as if you haven't had a thing to eat since you left,"

"No, it's fine, I'm not hungry," Tauriel replied, but still she couldn't take her eyes off the rapidly shrinking piece of cake in Legolas's hand.

"Nonsense," Kili told her, "go and get some, you'll be hungry then,"

Tauriel continued to refuse, even when Legolas offered to go and get it for her, but by the time Kili had managed to make her confess that she actually hadn't eaten since she left, Fili was knocking on the door from the outside. No one had noticed him go, but now Legolas opened the door to find him carrying a huge tray with about one third of the original cake left on it. He hadn't been able to open the door because he was using both hands to carry the tray, and had in fact knocked on the door with his head.

"They told me to take the whole thing and finish it off," he told them, looking pointedly at Tauriel, who sighed but did not protest this time as Fili dumped the tray on the table next to the basin.

"How are you going to cut it?" asked Legolas, noticing that there was no knife on the tray.

Fili realised with embarrassment that he hadn't thought about that problem. He was about to reach into his boots to fetch one of his small knives, when Legolas swiftly drew the short sword he kept with him most of the time.

"This is probably the cleanest blade around here," the Prince explained, and Fili rolled his eyes.

"Of course you polish your sword daily. Fine, as long as it's not embedded with poison or anything,"

Legolas chose not to retort and used the sword to cut a generous slice which he handed to Tauriel. She took it slightly reluctantly, but after the first bite her demeanour changed entirely and the rest was gone in less than a minute. Between them all (though Kili ate the most by far) they managed to demolish the rest of the cake in record time.

Since everyone was in brighter spirits than they had been for several days, the two elves stayed and laughed for a long time afterwards. Kili was suddenly eager to try out his new crutches but Tauriel told him to wait for the morning, saying he would be better rested then. It was late by the time first Legolas then Tauriel bade the dwarves goodnight and left to get some rest themselves.

As they drifted off to sleep, Kili mumbled, "sorry for ignoring you earlier. I was being stupid,"

"S'alright," Fili mumbled back, "I know you were worried about Tauriel,"

"So were you,"

"Yeah, but we both know you feel differently about her,"

"Hmmph," replied Kili, and rolled over. Normally he would have argued, but right now he was far too sleepy, and to be completely honest he didn't know what he would say.


	19. Chapter 19

_This is only a short chapter, but I wanted to cut it off so that the competition has a chapter of its own. Hopefully I might even be able to post it tomorrow, even though school starts back and everything, so I guess this is a sort of in-between chapter._

_Here are the wonderful people who reviewed last chapter: **InezSophia**, **Shreeg**, **jaymzNshed**, **FanOfRandomThings**, **leggomygreggo2**, **PopsShows23**, **fixusi**, **GregsMadHatter** and **WandaCarla**._

_I have already sort-of decided how the competition is going to go, but I still want to know who you're vouching for! Who do you want to see fight? Who do you hope will win?_

_I think you also ought to know the extent of my expertise with regards to archery and sword fighting. I have fired a bow once in my life, at Robin Hood's Tree in Sherwood forest. As for my sword fighting skills, I used to have wooden sword and plastic lightsaber battles with my brother when we were both a lot smaller. That said, they weren't exactly tame, and sometimes ended up quite painful. I also take pride in my accuracy with an elastic band. So yeah, basically I don't know anything about weapons, so feel free to correct me if I get anything wrong!_

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><p>For Kili, the next few days seemed to pass so much faster now that he was able to move about on his own. He hadn't dared to attempt stairs yet on his crutches, but luckily the kitchens and the main gate were on the same floor as the healing rooms and that was really all that mattered. Fili was always by his side, and together they managed to charm almost every elf they met along the way, the exception being Amras, who always gave them such a wide berth that Kili joked he was trying to avoid catching an infectious disease that dwarves carried. After that they always made for Amras whenever they saw him, and thoroughly enjoyed watching him scarper away as fast as he could each time.<p>

A lot of time was spent with the extraordinarily friendly cooks in the kitchen, who were more than happy to chat to the dwarves while they baked all sorts of delicacies as practice for the upcoming feast. Neither dwarf was sure why the elves needed to practise so much, but they didn't question it and didn't complain because the elves seemed to appreciate their growing skills as food critics and took every opportunity to ask their opinion on various newly baked goods as if they were some sort of food analysing machines. Kili expanded his vocabulary to include several new words he invented himself, using them to describe some of the foods they were asked to judge and claiming that they were ancient dwarvish idioms.

Fili and Kili also found themselves spending a lot of time with various members of the guard. This was because on the first day that Kili was properly out of bed he insisted on going outside - not far, mind - because he hadn't seen the outdoors for almost two weeks and he was yearning for it. Fili hadn't been outside either during their stay, but he had always been more comfortable surrounded by stone than Kili had, the latter preferring the comfort of trees and animals. Their excursion had turned into an all-day picnic with the guards on gate duty, who were Elu and Golradir to begin with but swapped at midday with Rúthen and Amras.

Fili dashed back to the kitchens every couple of hours to fetch more food, which the cooks were only too happy to give away, and they had a thoroughly enjoyable day sitting outside in the sunshine that was unusually bright for such late autumn, joking with the elves and eating until they felt like they would burst. Rúthen was particularly grateful for the company, because it meant he didn't have to put up with Amras on his own. The irritated second-in-command did not join their picnic, but paced up and down near the gate, every so often casting the small group a disapproving glare, and to add to this, Fili always made sure to give Amras his most dazzling beam every time he passed him on his way inside to get more food, which annoyed the elf no end.

Four mind-bogglingly fast days later, Fili and Kili were sitting outside with Gildor and Nienna and trying not to stuff themselves too full with almond biscuits when they heard Tauriel's voice from the Gate. They turned around, expecting her to come and join them like she had done a few times before, but instead she beckoned to Kili. He rose to his feet uncertainly, Fili trying to help him but being brushed away as Kili didn't really need the support any more, and together they followed Tauriel back into the palace.

Once they had caught up with her, Tauriel turned to Kili.

"Do you fancy trying some stairs? I'm afraid it's necessary if you want to do this," she said apologetically.

"Do what?" Kili asked, but Tauriel just shook her head with a knowing smile and took that as a yes.

The stairs were slow going, and unfortunately there were a lot of them, so it was a good half hour before Tauriel finally declared that they were on the right floor. Fili decided not to think about how long it was going to take them to get back up. Tauriel led them down a long narrow passage, and about halfway down she stopped and turned to push open a door to their right, leading them into a large hall. As they entered, Fili looked around in wonder, and he noticed Kili doing the same, because they had walked into nothing less than the Palace Guard training room.

All around the walls hung targets of all shapes and sizes, interspersed with racks where bows hung haphazardly, ready to be picked up and used. There were knotted ropes dangling from the ceiling, and many rope ladders, and targets on swings used for practising archery on a moving target. In the corner there was a small area set aside for sword training.

"Most elves come here at some point in their lives to learn the basics with a bow," Tauriel explained, "the talented ones are put onto call-up if they wish, and also learn to wield a sword. Only the best can join the guard,"

Fili looked at Kili, and they shared a thought.

"It's going to be a tough competition then," Kili voiced.

"That's why I brought you here, actually," replied Tauriel, and she strode over to a heavy wooden chest which stood near the sword fighting area and opened it. Kili watched, barely able to contain his excitement, as she lifted from it a dark, shiny wooden bow and handed it to him. Dropping his crutches to the floor, he tested it's weight eagerly, grinning from ear to ear, then pretended to aim and fire without an arrow.

"It's perfect!" he declared eventually, "it feels slightly different to my old one, but I'll get used to it. Thank you so much - can I try it out?"

"If your ribs feel up to it," replied Tauriel, "go easy on yourself. Do you want to borrow some arrows? They might be a bit long, but -"

"No need, I've got my own," Kili reassured her, "I've been making loads recently,"

He reached behind him into the quiver that he had been wearing every day for the past four days, and, with some difficulty because it was stuffed so full, pulled out an arrow.

"When did you make all those?" Tauriel exclaimed, "that must have taken ages!"

"He's been making them wherever we go," Fili answered for his brother, because Kili was already taking careful aim at a target on the other side of the room, "he had to start borrowing Rúthen's shafts and arrowheads because he ran out of his own,"

Just then there was a whistle and a thud, and they looked across to see Kili's arrow embedded just outside the bullseye on one of the targets.

"Good shot," Tauriel complimented.

"Not good enough," replied Kili, shaking his head and taking aim again.

The second shot was just higher than the first, but no nearer the centre of the target. The third one landed just outside the bullseye on the other side. The fourth shot, however, was dead centre, sending Fili into a round of whooping and applause. Kili glanced back at his brother, grinning, Fili's antics bringing back a wave of good memories from when Thorin had first taught him to shoot, although in those days Fili had applauded whenever he hit the target at all.

Picking out another target, Kili aimed and fired, and this time he hit the bullseye with the first shot, although the arrow wasn't as central in the bullseye as he would have liked. The next three shots all hit the bullseye of different targets, and the last one hit the eye of a small black squirrel shaped target, resembling the squirrels they had tried to cook and eat in Mirkwood with little success.

"Why'd you shoot that one?" Fili joked, "those ones taste horrible,"

"Better than it biting your nose off," Kili retorted, and both of them fell into fits of laughter as they recalled that embarrassing memory.

While they laughed, Tauriel took the opportunity to retrieve all the arrows from the targets and bring them back so Kili could fire them again. Then as the dwarves recovered, she made her way over to a small lever at the side of the room, hidden behind a panel so that it couldn't be pulled by accident. When she turned around, Kili was looking at her curiously, wondering what she was about to do. She gave him a nod to load his bow, then gestured for them both to move back a step, and pulled the lever.

There was immediate chaos as ropes were released and targets fell from the ceiling all around to swing around randomly on their strings, sometimes almost colliding with each other. The string of Kili's new bow was pulled back again and again as he released arrow after arrow at the moving targets, many of them hitting the bullseye and none of them missing altogether. It was soon apparent that the targets did not swing randomly at all, but were perfectly coordinated so as not to crash into each other.

All at once, Kili fitted another arrow to the string and pulled back, then gave a cry and doubled over, hugging his chest, the bow and arrow clattering to the ground at his feet. Tauriel was over in an instant, making him sit down on a stool and asking what had happened. After a few deep breaths, Kili could speak enough to tell them that his ribs were paining him again, and while Fili rushed to get his brother a cup of water from the tap in the wall, Tauriel suggested that they stop archery practise for the day and try again tomorrow. Kili agreed reluctantly, but said he didn't think he could face the stairs again just yet.

"It's a shame I didn't bring my swords," sighed Fili as he returned with the water, but at this, Tauriel's face split into a grin.

"Good job I did then," she said with a twinkle in her eye, "I'm surprised you never noticed that I had them, actually," and with that she practically skipped over to the wooden chest and for the first time Fili noticed his twin swords in their sheaths, leaning against it. Tauriel retrieved them and he took them eagerly, strapping the sheaths quickly and easily to his back.

Kili sat back and watched as Tauriel reached down to her sides and drew two long, thin daggers. They were a lot shorter than Fili's swords, but he had no doubt she would use them effectively. Fili and Tauriel moved into the area set aside for sword combat, and started to circle each other slowly, trying to pick out out each other's weak spots. Neither of them was wearing armour, but each trusted the other not to use the sharp edge of the sword, and knew that if either of them hurt the other they would most likely have Kili's bow to answer to.

Fili made the first move, lunging forward to strike, but Tauriel skipped nimbly out of the way and a moment later Fili had to whirl round to block her knives from behind him with his other blade. Then he aimed a kick at Tauriel's knees, but she jumped easily out of his range of flexibility and aimed another attack from above.

"That's not fair, you're way taller than me!" grumbled Fili, deftly blocking a series of blows from the elf.

"And this isn't even my weapon of choice," Tauriel teased him, spinning easily round to Fili's other side and aiming a swipe at his head.

Fili's eyes narrowed, and before Tauriel knew what had hit her he had spun under her knives with arm and leg outstretched, delivering a swift backhand to her abdomen and knocking her clean off her feet. She was up in less than a second, however, and fighting back with new vengeance. Kili cheered them both on and kept a running commentary all through it, but neither Fili nor Tauriel payed him any attention, all their energy focused on the fight.

It was a close match, and it lasted so long that by the end Kili had almost lost interest - almost, but not quite. Both competitors were panting, but holding it together enough to block each other's blows, which had not dwindled in strength. Finally, Fili slashed low with his right sword, predicting correctly that Tauriel would jump over it, but instead of then striking with his left as the elf expected, he spun right round and as she descended he swiped her feet from under her in one smooth spin kick so that she fell heavily on her back, all the air knocked out of her. Before she had the chance to recover, Fili was standing on her wrists, forcing the knives out of her hands and demanding she surrender.

"I surrender," sighed Tauriel, "you win,"

Fili grinned and sheathed his swords, then removed his feet from Tauriel's wrists and offered her a hand, which she did not take as she got to her feet in one fluid movement. Then they shook hands and made their way back over to where Kili was sat, ready to welcome the victor.

"That was great, Fili!" Kili grinned, bouncing to his feet (or rather, foot) to give his brother a haphazard hug.

"You're very good," Tauriel told Fili, "I've never met anyone able to wield two swords like you can,"

"I've been practising with two since Thorin discovered I was ambidextrous," Fili replied, "it's a good job, I would never have been able to beat you with only one,"

Though he didn't say it out loud, he was extraordinarily relieved to have won the fight, because he knew that if he had lost Kili would never have let him forget it.

"You know, if you lost, Thorin would probably disown you," Kili said brightly, and Fili attempted to scowl but his brother's unwavering grin was too infectious.

"Lucky I won then," he replied, bending down to retrieve Kili's crutches for him so they could begin to make their way back to the long flight of stairs, "it was a good fight,"

The stairs took even longer to ascend than they had to descend, but eventually they emerged onto the ground floor, Kili utterly exhausted but in bright spirits.

"I'm starving," he declared, "let's go to the kitchens,"

"Eat as much as you can," advised Tauriel, "you're going to have to do all that again tomorrow,"

"Worth it, though," grinned Kili, "Amras won't know what's hit him,"

"Talking of that, when is the competition going to be?" Fili asked Tauriel, and the elf shrugged.

"Whenever you like I guess. How about the day after tomorrow? That gives you all tomorrow to practise,"

"Sounds fine to me," replied Fili, and Kili nodded.

"Great," Tauriel smiled, "I'll tell the guard," and with that she bounded off back down the stairs to the guard headquarters, where she guessed Rúthen would be at this time.

The brothers, each encouraged by their performances in the training room, spent the rest of the afternoon in the kitchens, eating and chatting and inventing more new words to confuse the cooks. That evening they went to bed early, eager to be well rested for the whole day of weapons practise ahead of them, and the competition the day after that. It would not do to let Amras win.


	20. Chapter 20

_Updates 3 days running AND an extra super duper long chapter at the end of it? Are my eyes deceiving me? This is surely a great achievement, especially since this is chapter 20! I never thought this fic would get so far! This long chapter is all thanks to your reviews, since the competition wasn't going to be so long but after reading what you were all hoping to see I couldn't leave any of it out, and I couldn't cut it short either because I didn't want to have to split it across two chapters._

_Shout outs go to: **tygrislily**, **syeern**, **jaymzNshed**, **FanOfRandomThings**, **leggomygreggo2**, **Syblime** and **GregsMadHatter**, thanks for the awesome reviews and I hope you enjoy this extra-long chapter since it's all your fault!_

_Unfortunately, school is back in full swing and piling on the homework, but I made a promise that this chapter would be up today, so here it is, however I think it might be three days until the next one. I hope this satisfies you until then :)_

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><p>The day of the competition dawned cold and sunny, and it was decided between Rúthen, Tauriel, Legolas and Fili that the competition would be held outside due to the fair weather and the fact that competitions of this sort were always a lot better when not held in a stuffy, over-cluttered hall. Therefore, soon after dawn, there gathered in a small grove of trees next to the forest river a group of fifteen elves and two dwarves, wrapped up warm against the frost that still lingered from the night before and blinking in the dazzling sunlight.<p>

Before they were to begin, Rúthen insisted that the guard go through the regular drill that they did daily in order to stay fit enough for their job. It consisted of gruelling non-stop exercise for a good half-hour, and by the end of it the guard were grateful for the cold weather as it prevented them from overheating in exhaustion. Tauriel joined in with this, as she claimed she needed it, though no one could work out why. Legolas, however, chose to stand by and watch with Fili and Kili rather than participate.

"Too high and mighty to sweat with your subjects?" teased Fili, "or do you just not want them to see how unfit you are?"

"I exercised earlier," replied Legolas, unfazed.

"Of course you did," Fili rolled his eyes at the typical Elven Prince behaviour and grinned at Kili, "of course you did,"

After the drill came the practise rounds of archery, and the first round of food. Kili had mentioned earlier to the kitchen staff that there was to be a competition, and the good-natured cooks had insisted on bringing food out every few hours to save them the inconvenience of having to return for meals. The youngest cook came out carrying a large tray laden with all sorts of mismatched bakery items, arriving just as everyone except Fili was getting out their bows and practising their shots at various trees in the small grove.

The blond haired dwarf made the most of this opportunity, scoffing as much food as he could while there was no one to share it with, but not long after he had started, Kili landed himself next to his brother, saying it was too annoying having elf arrows whistling past his ears every other moment and he couldn't concentrate enough to shoot properly, and that anyway he had got enough practise the day before when they had spent almost all day down in the training room. Fili thought it was probably just that Kili wanted the food.

Before the first round of cakes and rolls had completely disappeared, however, Rúthen blew a whistle for the first tournament to start. Tauriel had nailed a wooden target to a sturdy tree, and the archers were to take it in turns to see who could get the closest to the bullseye from different distances.

As Kili's turn approached he could feel his heart hammering in his chest. He shot a nervous glance at Fili, who grinned back, completely at ease. If only he knew what was going on in Kili's head.

He knew it was no big deal. It was a small competition after all, not a matter of life and death. Goodness knows there had been enough of that recently. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try his utmost to succeed.

Moving forward to take his stance at the line marked out on the turf, sufficiently far from the target to make it quite a challenge, he dropped his crutches to take up his bow and fitted an arrow to it in one fluid, well practised motion. Most of the guard had already had their turn, Rúthen having scored a perfect bullseye and Tauriel having split his arrow in half with hers. The arrow bound with a pale yellow strip just above the arrowhead belonged to Amras, and it sat in the next ring out from the black centre. That was what Kili needed to beat.

A few weighted seconds passed.

Then he fired.

The arrow landed millimetres from Amras's. But it was closer to the target, just. Fili let out a whoop and rushed to lift his brother clean off the ground in jubilation, but Kili just smiled and enjoyed the small victory, before nudging Fili to move out of the way because the next elf was about to shoot.

Nienna's arrow fell the opposite side to Kili's and Amras's, but it was also just on the edge of the bullseye, meaning that the top three places went to Tauriel, Rúthen and Nienna. Just as they were declared, Fili noticed that Legolas hadn't had his shot.

"Hey Legolas, why haven't you had a turn? Too embarrassed you'll be beaten by a dwarf?" he teased.

"No, no one ever asked," replied Legolas.

"You were waiting to be _asked_?" exclaimed Fili, "that's ridiculous! Why are you even here? It can't be the food, you've barely eaten a thing,"

Legolas shrugged and moved over to take his place in front of the target. He slung a finely carven bow from his shoulder and, with barely a hesitation, pulled an arrow from his quiver and fired it. It was so fast that Fili could barely register that the elf had pulled the bowstring back at all and not simply thrown the arrow. It flew into the dead centre of the target, splitting Tauriel's arrow which had before split Rúthen's.

"Waste of a good arrow, sorry Tauriel," Legolas apologised as he walked casually back to where Fili stood, gobsmacked.

"Wow, that was impressive," Kili remarked from beside Fili.

"Well, a thousand years of practise will do that for you," replied Legolas, "not to mention all the royal expectations to live up to, and the fact that as Prince there are approximately five hundred and fifty four percent more people in the world who want me dead than there are for the average Silvan elf,"

"You just made that up," Fili accused him, but Legolas just grinned.

"Wait until you're King under the Mountain, then you too might feel the need to know exactly how many enemies you have,"

"Still made up," Fili replied cheekily, and Legolas shrugged and walked away towards the dwindling pile of food with a regal swish of his hair.

There were several more rounds of archery that morning, involving practising on moving targets, aiming through small gaps and, unexpectedly, adjusting for wind. The latter was only introduced at Nienna's suggestion after a strong gust of wind blew over the latest stack of food brought out by the cooks, and the round took place over the river where there was the most wind, aiming for a knot on a tree on the opposite bank.

Tauriel and Legolas (who had finally been persuaded to participate properly in all the next events) continued to split each other's arrows, often with the addition of Rúthen, and once Nienna too. Kili scored a perfect bullseye on the moving target (which was a target hung between two trees so that it could be swung from side to side), which earned him compliments from many elves he had never even spoken to before. He put his good aim down to all the practise in the training room the day before and thanked Tauriel for about the hundredth time for the new bow. He requested, however, that his arrow be removed from the target before Legolas's shot, since he was taking care not to break any of his newly made arrows and would rather it wasn't split in half.

There was barely a pause for lunch, mainly because due to the generosity of the kitchen staff the whole group had been snacking throughout the morning and were not hungry enough for a full meal, and also partly because Fili was by now bored stiff of watching everyone else shoot and wanted to start on the sword fighting as soon as possible. This meant that as soon as someone suggested they have a short break, he went up to Rúthen and asked for a duel. He didn't feel he was quite ready to face Legolas without a practise first.

Rúthen amiably agreed, and they found a clear space not too close to the river and drew their swords. The second in command carried a sword similar to the one Fili had borrowed from Legolas in the forest: a long, two-sided blade which was sturdy but not so wide as to be clumsy. Fili had his dual blades.

After the first few strikes, it was clear that Fili had the advantage. Defending against two blades with only one is no easy task, but Rúthen fought admirably, holding his own for long enough that a congregation of elves formed around them, eager to watch the unofficial fight. Kili stood near the front, next to Tauriel, cheering his brother on at the top of his voice and drowning out everyone around him.

"Do dwarves have a large lung capacity for their body size?" Tauriel asked him curiously, her fingers in her sensitive elvish ears like most of the elves around them.

Kili stopped in his commentary for a moment to consider this, then nodded. "We're broad chested, you see," he replied sagely, then thumped his chest to clear his throat and began again, "GO FILI! GOOD DODGE! LOOK OUT ON YOUR LEFT - THAT WAS A BIT TOO CLOSE - YEAH, THAT'S THE WAY! GO GET 'IM!"

"Um - do you think you could be a bit quieter please?" asked Tauriel as Kili paused momentarily for breath, "we elves have rather sensitive ears, you see,"

"Oh, sorry," said Kili sheepishly, and fell silent altogether.

The fight didn't last long after that, two strikes in quick succession from Fili's swords on the handle of Rúthen's dual-edged blade sending it flying out of the elf's hands and forcing a surrender from the head of guard. The group dispersed as Kili's shouts started up again, this time in victory, and Fili was so busy laughing at the younger dwarf's antics as he began to throw up cherries (which he had picked off the tops of the latest round of cupcakes) and catch them in his mouth that he almost didn't notice a small tap on his shoulder. After a moment in which the tap registered, he turned around to see Legolas standing behind him, grinning with one eyebrow raised questioningly, one hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Um...should't we wait until it officially starts?" asked Fili, "that was just a practise,"

"Tauriel has made a scoreboard. She is writing on it that you beat Rúthen as we speak," replied Legolas, then he chuckled, "I have a feeling this isn't going to be very coordinated, no matter how organised Tauriel tries to make it,"

Fili shrugged, "ok then," and they moved back into the open space. Immediately a gathering formed around them, waiting for the fight to begin.

They circled each other, trying to guess when the other was about to strike. Fili knew that whatever he did first, Legolas would be ready for and be able to dodge, just like Tauriel had two days ago in the training room, so he was waiting for the elf to make the first move instead. Legolas, however, seemed in no hurry to attack. The silence stretched for far too long, the tension peaking but then falling again as still nothing happened. Finally, the elf struck.

The sword jabbed forward towards Fili, but he was quick enough to sidestep it and block it with both of his own blades. Then, while one was still locked with Legolas's, he spun backwards to slash with his other, but the elf was too quick for him and blocked it with ease. The Prince danced around him, and it occurred to Fili that though Legolas had a weapon most similar to Rúthen's, his fighting style was a lot more like Tauriel's with her two daggers. It wouldn't have surprised him if Prince was trained with those as well.

After a few more quick exchanges of blows, it seemed to Fili that they would get nowhere if they continued to fight like this. Neither had shown a clear authority, and both were a long way from tiring. At the same time, however, he was reluctant to try any harder for fear of hurting the elf.

It seemed Legolas had read his thoughts. "Don't hold back," he grinned, "give it all you've got. If you kill me, I promise you can have all the gold I own,"

Fili raised an eyebrow. "You're that confident? Or are you hoping I'll say the same to you? Soon I'll have more gold than you've ever seen in your life, that'll just give you an incentive to kill me,"

"Don't judge so harshly, Prince Not-Quite-Under-The-Mountain-Yet," Legolas grinned wider, almost absent-mindedly blocking Fili's swords, "I would never do such a thing. I was merely hoping for a more...challenging match,"

"Alright, you asked for it," said Fili, narrowing his eyes dangerously and grinning, "but when we have to start calling you Legless instead of Legolas just remember you brought it on yourself,"

With that, he leapt forward with a battle cry, swords only just missing the elf prince's nose, and administered a well placed kick to the back of his opponent's knees. Legolas went down with barely a grunt, falling into a smooth backward roll and returning to his feet in less than a second. In that second, however, Fili moved forward to attack again, foot clamping down on Legolas's sword a moment before the elf tried to pick it up. This, however, did not stop the elf, as he stood up weaponless but dropped to his knees instantly, out of the line of Fili's swords which whistled over his head, and spun round with his leg stretched out behind him in order to trip Fili up.

He had not counted on the sturdiness of dwarves, however, and though the kick was hard and painful for Fili, the dwarf's feet stayed planted firmly on the ground and on his sword, so Legolas tried a different tactic. He was dodging every which way just to avoid Fili's ruthless swings, but suddenly he changed direction and instead of moving out of reach of the sword, he moved in so that he was too close to Fili's body for the sword to hit him. The dwarf hadn't been expecting this, and it caught him off balance as Legolas caught his arm in a lock and used a well known pressure point to make Fili release the sword in that hand.

Or that was his plan. He didn't factor in, however, that dwarves have different pressure points to elves. Instead of Fili relinquishing his grip on the sword, his other arm came swinging round and very nearly chopped Legolas's head off, only missing because of the elf's lightening reactions. Using Fili's momentum from the swipe, Legolas aimed another kick at Fili's leg that was holding down his own sword and this time was successful. He was up in a moment, blade in hand, parrying the dwarf's blows one after the other with all the grace he could muster (which, to be fair, was quite a lot).

It was difficult fighting as an elvish prince, he had discovered long ago. Not only did one have to be flawless in the technique and execution of each move, one had to do it with dignity and flair, leaving audiences with no question as to one's capability to one day rule. If that day ever came, that was.

He was slightly jealous that dwarves did not have to face that problem. Having no grace to begin with, there was none to lose when they went into battle.

That, however, turned out not to be his most pressing problem the next moment. Fili had somehow managed to duck behind him, and was now attacking from the rear. Coupled with two swords, it was a deadly combination that Legolas was only just capable of fending off. Deciding that this could not be allowed to continue, he launched his own attack without hesitation.

The sword flashed before Fili's eyes almost too fast for him to follow, and he thanked Mahal once again for his ambidexterity for he certainly wouldn't have been able to keep all his limbs had he not had a blade to defend himself on both sides. The shouts from those watching were drowned out by the adrenaline pumping past his ears, and he had one focus only: the elf waving a sword in front of him.

Suddenly he was on his knees, a great force having collided with the backs of his legs in exactly the same move that he had used on the elf moments before. Cursing himself for not having been ready for it, he rolled over onto his back, careful not to cut himself in half with his own swords but more careful still not to let Legolas tread on them - he would not be brought down by his own tricks again. He was just in time to block a downward strike from the elf with both swords, holding them inches from his face and pushing upwards with all his might. Then, with Legolas concentrating on his upper half, he pulled back his leg and kicked outwards as hard as he could, not caring where it landed as long as it got the elf off him long enough for him to get up.

He had not expected Legolas to double over in pain. After all, it had only been a kick. But, as it turned out, it had been an unfortunately placed one - or a very fortunately placed one, depending on your point of view.

"Argh - I should have worn a codpiece," groaned the elf, rolling over onto the ground, still doubled over.

"Do you surrender?" asked Fili, frowning slightly because he hadn't expected it to be that easy.

He was right to be suspicious, however, because a moment later Legolas had rolled back onto his feet, sword in hand.

"Never," he grinned, and lunged forward with even more vigour than before, showing little sign that anything had just happened. Fili was forced to back away from the unstoppable force that was the Prince of Mirkwood, and a gap parted in the ring of watchers to let them through. A moment later, however, Fili felt himself going downhill. He couldn't look behind to see where he was stepping, since the blur of sharp metal in front of him demanded his whole attention, but where the top of his head had barely reached Legolas's elbows before, now it only just reached above his knees.

As he felt his toes slipping on the muddy ground, he knew what to do. Up until now he had been blocking Legolas's strikes and jabs with each of his swords in turn, doing his best not to lose too much ground, but so far it had got him nowhere and he had been forced back right up to the bank of the river, which is what he guessed he felt beneath his feet. The elf was throwing all he could at him, expecting Fili to continue to parry, but then Fili saw his opportunity: a gap underneath Legolas's arm. At that moment he heard Kili shout "look out!" but quicker than the elf's sharp eyes could follow, he ducked beneath the outstretched arm, pulling himself up the bank and pushing Legolas down it with one swift move.

A second later, Fili felt droplets of cold water hit his back as Legolas fell into the water with a splash. He tried to scramble up the bank away from the river, but the mud was too slippery and suddenly he felt a hand close around his ankle. Before he knew it, he was drenched to the skin and crashing about in the swirling torrents of water. Spluttering, he tried to concentrate on keeping his head above the surface, but it was too hard; the river was too rough. Just as the river threatened to sweep him away, however, he found a hold on a large rock that stuck out above the water and clung onto it for all he was worth. Then he remembered that when he had fallen in he had had his swords in his hands - where were they now?

Blinking the droplets of water out of his eyes, he saw Legolas feet from him, clinging onto another rock for dear life while laughing his head off. He had managed to keep hold of his sword.

"Glad you find it funny," he shot at the elf, who grinned back at the grumpy expression on Fili's face.

"If the water bothers you so much, you shouldn't have pushed me in first, should you?" Legolas replied with a smirk.

Fili wanted to retort, but at the moment he opened his mouth to speak his fingers slipped on the rock he was anchoring himself with and his head went under, filling his mouth with water and making him choke. When he resurfaced, all he could do was glare at the Elven Prince while trying to cough up the water that had made its way into his lungs.

"Fili, are you alright?" a voice yelled from the shore.

Fili looked up to see a very distressed Kili looking down on him as he got churned and battered by the playful river. The younger dwarf seemed to be struggling in Tauriel's grasp, trying to get closer to his brother but being kept away from the water's edge by the wary elf. Fili silently thanked the Valar that she had thought to restrain the reckless young Durin, otherwise Kili would probably have jumped into the river to rescue him by now.

"I'm alright, just stay back, I don't want you falling in too!" called Fili, and he saw Kili stop struggling immediately and Tauriel let go of him. To his relief, Kili did not take the opportunity to leap into the water but stayed standing, looking anxiously towards his brother.

Fili glanced around for his swords, which he really needed to get back; they were one (or rather, two) of a kind, specially forged for him by none other than Thorin, made to match his fighting style perfectly and definitely not easily replaceable if he lost them. He spotted one not far downstream, wedged between two rocks so that it stuck out of the water. He needed to get it. Taking a deep breath, Fili let go of the rock and let himself be swept towards the sword, but suddenly there was a wave that rolled him right over so that he got water in his eyes again and couldn't see where he was going. As he tried to blink it away, another torrent of water ducked him right under, swirling and bashing him against rocks. Clinging onto whatever he could grasp, he tried to halt himself and stop himself being swept down the river, but it was futile to resist the pull of the current.

Just when he thought he was going to be swept all the way to Laketown he felt a hand close around his wrist, pulling him upwards stronger than the current, until finally his head broke the surface and he was able to breathe again, spluttering and coughing out more water than he knew his lungs could hold. When, finally, he had managed to clear his chest and shake the dripping strands of hair out of his face, he opened his eyes to see who had rescued him.

Legolas was holding him up by the scruff of his shirt, head and shoulders out of the water but holding on to a root protruding from the bank of the river with the other hand, his face incredulous.

"What were you thinking of?" he asked, and Fili thought he might have spotted a glimpse of fear in the elf's eyes - he dismissed the idea a moment later, because Legolas never showed fear, and now they distinctly showed irritation and possibly anger.

"I was trying to get my sword," answered Fili in a small voice, hanging his head and feeling rather like a naughty child.

Legolas shook his head in disbelief.

"You could have drowned, you realise that? Talk about reckless,"

Fili almost smirked at the last sentence. Kili was the one everyone accused of being reckless usually, but this time it was the older, supposedly more sensible brother. Supposedly being the key word.

"Yeah, well, thanks for saving me," he told the elf with a lopsided grin, "now would you mind fetching my sword for me, and perhaps finding the other one too?"

Legolas just rolled his eyes at this and nodded back up the river, towards where Nienna was using two long sticks to lift Fili's sword from the water without having to enter herself. Fili suddenly felt embarrassed, not having thought of that in the chaos of falling into the river.

No, not falling. Being dragged in.

"If my other sword isn't found, you're paying for it," he said sternly to Legolas, who just laughed.

"Don't worry, it will be. Do you want a leg up?"

Fili gratefully accepted the boost and a second later was rolling onto dry land and being immediately set upon by a extremely relieved Kili, who, despite the crutches and the height difference, had managed to beat all the elves to get to where Fili and Legolas had landed by quite a margin. He had shed his outer cloak and was wrapping it round his shivering older brother in moments.

"_What_ in _Arda_ did you do that for?" demanded Kili crossly, and Fili had to laugh at how much like their mother he sounded at that moment. He didn't get a chance to reply, though, before Kili had smothered his head with the top of the cloak, rubbing it about vigorously to dry his sodden hair.

"Oi! Gerroff!" Fili mumbled through the cloak, but then he stopped to listen to a shout that had just come from the river.

"Hey, I wouldn't mind a hand here!" came the Prince's voice from below.

"Oh - sorry!" called Fili back, suddenly remembering that Legolas was still waiting for his help to clamber onto the bank. Kili dropped the cloak dutifully and did not attempt to put it back on as Fili shrugged it off to go and help the Elven Prince.

Fili edged towards the river on his hands and knees and extended his hand downwards for Legolas to grasp. The elf was surprisingly light as he pulled him up, or perhaps Legolas was just helping a lot more than Fili realised, but in any case they were both tumbling back onto dry land before even the first other elf arrived at the scene. Naturally, it was Tauriel who first came sprinting towards them.

"You...idiot...Kili!" she panted as she came to a halt in front of the offending dwarf.

Fili frowned, wondering what on earth his brother had done wrong, when he noticed that Kili's crutches were in Tauriel's hand and understood. But how? How on earth had Kili _run_ all this way down the riverbank with a broken ankle?

"Kili...how...?" he began, and Kili turned to him with a smirk, though Fili could see now that he was hiding a lot of pain.

"Drowning brothers can have that effect sometimes," Kili replied, trying to be lighthearted but swaying slightly as he stood, and not masking either the fact that he had been more than a little concerned for Fili when he had fallen into the river.

Suddenly he swayed a little too far and Tauriel's arm shot out like lightning, steadying him and helping him lower himself to the floor. Once on the ground, Kili put his head between his knees to rid himself of the dizzy feeling that now swept over him, and slowly but surely his head cleared and he was able to look back up at his brother.

"Don't you dare do that again," he warned, "I nearly died of shock,"

"Blame him, he dragged me in," replied Fili, wrapping the dry cloak slightly tighter around himself and nodding towards Legolas who stood, still dripping, a little way back.

Legolas raised an eyebrow. "Hey, you threw me in first," he said, teeth chattering. Tauriel finally took pity on him and handed him her cloak, which he received gratefully.

"Does that mean I won the duel?" Fili grinned.

"No, it means you cheated," Legolas answered through gritted teeth - though they were only gritted in an attempt to stop them chattering.

"Using the landscape to your advantage isn't cheating," defended Kili, and Tauriel nodded in agreement.

"There. I won," declared Fili.

"I never surrendered," Legolas argued, "and I dragged you in too,"

"So what?"

"So the duel isn't over,"

"That's not fair, I don't have my swords!" complained Fili, noticing that Legolas's was now back in its sheath.

"You do now," came Rúthen's voice from behind him, and Fili whirled round to see the head of guard standing there, holding out his twin blades.

"Thanks," grinned Fili, taking them and putting them on the ground before beginning to unstrap his sheaths from his back. He would have to let them dry out first; he didn't want them tarnishing in the water.

"Um - a tie?" asked Legolas from behind him.

Fili spun round again. "What?"

"Do you want to agree a tie?" repeated Legolas, "I'd rather dry off before any more fights,"

"Ok," replied Fili immediately, shrugging off his sheaths at last, "a tie,"

They moved forwards and shook each other's hands, then they both found themselves being swathed in cloaks donated generously by all the members of the guard who had arrived at last. Fili made sure that Kili got two, since the one that the younger dwarf had given to Fili at first was now as wet as the rest of Fili's clothes, and then they were all heading back up the river, Kili once more using his crutches, towards where a confused cook stood in the distance holding a tray of steaming hot pies.

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><p>Neither Fili nor Legolas planned to participate in any more fights that afternoon, preferring to dry off while watching others duel and scoffing fruit pies. Kili took to helping Tauriel with the scoreboard, but this confused Fili as Kili wasn't usually such an organised person. He had a feeling the younger dwarf wasn't just helping for the sake of the tournament.<p>

When Nienna beat Amras in a particularly fierce round of fighting, all the elves who had come into the healing room with Rúthen the day that Thranduil had fired Tauriel let out a huge cheer. Gildor and Golradir went so far as to lift her onto their shoulders and parade her around the grove of trees, all the while singing a victory song to drown out her protests and requests to be put down immediately. Tauriel and Rúthen shared an exasperated look - the fact that the elven brothers were some of the oldest in the guard did not make them any more mature than the rest of it.

Amras, on the other hand, did not take the loss well. He watched the parade with a grim expression, not saying a word but growing redder by the second. Fili wasn't sure he wasn't going to burst. But then, suddenly, Amras turned and blurted out:

"Fili I challenge you to a duel!"

All eyes turned to Fili, who was still wrapped up in many cloaks and sitting by the pile of food.

"I accept," he said without hesitation. Amras was clearly trying to make up for his loss by picking a fight with the dwarf, perhaps to redeem his self confidence or perhaps simply to spite. In any case, Fili wasn't going to miss the opportunity to get one-up on the snobbish elf.

"Are you sure?" Kili whispered to him, worried, "you're still wet, and how do you know he won't try and kill you?"

"In front of all these people?" Fili asked, looking around, "don't worry, it'll be fine. I'll teach him that dwarves are not to be overlooked,"

"Whatever," Kili stuffed another pie into his mouth and sat back as Fili stood up and let the many cloaks drop to the floor, leaving him in his damp clothes.

He picked up the sheaths for his dual blades, which he had left out to dry, and strapped them to his back before picking up the swords. Then he advanced towards Amras, who stood before him wielding two long knives similar to Tauriel's, and narrowed his eyes.

Without a word, they began to circle each other, Fili trying to move so that his shirt didn't cling to him too much and impede his movements, though after a few paces he gave up on that idea and decided to forget altogether about his damp clothing. Amras did not wait long to strike, lunging forward with one knife which Fili blocked easily. Then the elf turned and tried to strike with the other knife, but this did not pose a challenge for Fili either. He continued to parry Amras's blows until he saw an opening through which he could launch his own attack, and it came soon enough; quick as a flash, he ducked under Amras's left arm and aimed a slash to the elf's back. He didn't expect that Amras would be unable to block it.

He was just in time to pull away as his sword made contact with Amras's shirt creating a rip in it where a thin red line, made by the blade, showed through. Amras yelled, and there was a unanimous gasp from the elves watching, followed by a rather colourful Khuzdul curse from Kili.

"He's trying to kill me!" yelled Amras, spinning round and launching a rather sloppy counterattack on the dwarf, "he's a sneaking, thieving, untrustworthy dwarf and he's trying to kill me!"

"Course he's not," called back Legolas, sharing a rather exasperated look with Fili, "with fifteen elves watching, he'd have to be mad,"

Amras did not reply to that, because at that moment Fili leapt up with both swords, causing the elf to stumble backwards and trip over his own feet, landing flat on the ground with Fili standing over him. It was clear at that moment that Fili would win, and that Amras would be forced to surrender, but then Amras did something unexpected which caused a gasp to arise from the watchers. He slashed at Fili with his knives, and while Fili blocked one of them, the other one cut into his leg, just below the knee, and a stream of red blood began to pour out. Fili gave a yell of surprise and jumped back, and Amras took this as his cue to get up. Jumping to his feet, the elf did not wait for Fili to recover, but launched at him immediately, knives whirring through the air.

Fili fought back as hard as he judged was safe, ignoring the blood that poured down his leg, but Amras seemed to have gained energy from somewhere and was proving more difficult to beat than before. While he did not want to hurt the elf, Fili could not help but be angered by the lack of respect he had been shown. Something told him that if he hurt Amras now by accident, he would not be blamed too heavily by the elvish audience. But he was the nephew of Thorin Oakenshield - and that meant he had pride. And to keep his dignity as the victim and not the criminal in this situation, retaliation was not the way to go.

On the other hand, he knew Thorin would be furious if he had seen what had happened, and Fili resolved more than ever to beat Amras, to show him that messing with dwarves - especially in such a low down and dishonourable way - was not the wisest thing to do. His swords flew through the air as if of their own accord, clashing again and again with the elf's knives, and suddenly Fili struck hard forward with both of his blades, Amras defending himself with both of his own, and the scene froze, the elf and the dwarf locked in a furious staring match, their weapons between them. Around the edges of the circle, everyone fell silent. Who would be the first to break eye contact?

Suddenly, Amras gave way, flying backwards with the released energy, Fili jumping forwards to make sure he stayed on the ground where he fell, and as he had done with Tauriel, stood on his wrists to make him let go of his knives. The blood from his leg dripped slowly down onto Amras's hand.

"Do you surrender?" Fili asked with cold authority.

"I...I surrender," gasped Amras, who had been winded by the fall and was only just getting his breath back.

Fili nodded solemnly, then stepped back so that Amras could get up. He held out his hand for the elf to shake, but instead the second-in-command glared at him icily and walked away without another word. Fili frowned after him, but his thought couldn't dwell on the elf's hostile behaviour for long, as Kili came bounding up to him and hugged him round the back of the neck without warning, causing him to spin round in surprise and nearly fling his brother across the circle.

"Well done Fili!" Kili congratulated him, "you showed Amras alright! I bet he'll be scared of dwarves for the rest of his life now,"

"Are you alright?" Legolas came next, "that was a dirty thing Amras did, cutting you like that,"

"Well, maybe he was just angry that I cut him first," Fili replied, a bit uncertainly because when he had cut Amras it had been an accidental scratch, whereas he was sure the elf had purposely hurt him with the knife.

"No, you've seen how much he dislikes dwarves," Legolas shook his head, "and anyway, you didn't cut him on purpose, that was his fault. I was watching, I saw that he could have easily blocked you then, but I think he just chose not to,"

"Fili, sit down, let me have a look at that cut," Tauriel ordered him firmly, having appeared from somewhere amongst the other elves, and Fili obliged without complaint, stretching his bloodstained leg out before him for Tauriel to examine.

"It's not too deep, despite all the blood," she informed him, running her fingers lightly over the wound, "it'll be gone in a few days,"

"Phew, I thought we were going to have to amputate there," Kili teased, and Fili scoffed back.

"Says the one running round on crutches,"

"Hey, I can walk without them now," Kili argued, miming offence.

"But you shouldn't be," Tauriel cut in sternly, "not if you want that ankle of yours to heal properly,"

Kili hung his head, but Fili could see he was grinning as he replied, "sorry,"

"It's yourself you need to apologise to, not me," Tauriel answered, shrugging with an amused expression, "come on, I brought out a first aid kit and I think there are some bandages in there. And it looks like more food has arrived," she grinned knowingly at the brothers, who immediately perked up.

"Valar help whoever cooks in their household," Legolas muttered to Tauriel as the dwarves were off in an instant in the direction of the food. However, Kili wasn't far away enough yet not to hear the comment, and turned around with a grin.

"Just pity the hobbit who had to unexpectedly host a dinner for thirteen of us and a wizard," he chuckled, then turned and hobbled after his brother as Legolas and Tauriel shared a look of disbelief.

The rest of the day passed without a hitch, though Amras had disappeared off somewhere and did not return, and while Legolas decided to accept a few challenges (and won them all), Fili chose not to fight again. At last the light began to dim, and Tauriel counted up the scores for the sword fighting as the group made their way back inside. At the gate they got a surprise: Thranduil stood just inside the entrance, welcoming them back with the closest thing to a warm smile that Legolas had seen from his father in the last few weeks. His heart swelled, and he smiled broadly as he made his way over to greet the King.

"Legolas, my son, I trust you had a good day?"

"It was very enjoyable, father," replied Legolas, choosing not to go into detail about how a dwarf had thrown him into the river.

"Good. Now -" Thranduil placed a hand behind his son's back and lead him a little way from the returning guards so that they would not be overheard before speaking again, "I am concerned about these dwarves - no, do not fear, I will not throw them out - I am concerned about our feast of starlight, our Meleth en Gilith, in three nights time. Dwarves do not celebrate this festival like we do, however I would not have any elf miss out due to that. What do you suggest would be the best course of action?"

"What - you're asking me?" exclaimed Legolas, "but -"

"Legolas, you have shown much spirit lately which - while I may not call it wise - I cannot help but respect. You are my son, and you are learning many things about the world. I have been foolish to ignore you up until now, but I hope to amend that, starting today. Your thoughts are important to me. And I think that this time you may hold the right answer," he smiled at Legolas with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

"Um..." Legolas pondered for a few moments. Fili and Kili surely would not want to miss a great feast, even if they did not usually celebrate that festival. What harm could it do to have them there? "They will feast with us," he replied with certainty, "they will celebrate the feast of starlight with us,"

"They will agree? They will not cause any trouble?" asked Thranduil, still slightly unconvinced.

"Yes, and I am sure they won't. As far as I can tell, dwarves like celebrations as much as we do, especially these heirs of Durin. Actually, Fili told me he is very much looking forward to it,"

"You have discussed this with them?" Thranduil asked, somewhat sharply.

"Well, it's pretty hard to be ignorant of it, what with all these preparations," chuckled Legolas, but then he realised his father was asking more than that. "Yes, I have spoken with them, Fili - the older one - in particular. We have a lot in common,"

"Oh?" the Elvenking's tone was interested, if not somewhat accusing. Legolas sighed; if he had believed for a moment that his father would accept the dwarves so easily, then he had been mistaken.

"He is heir to his uncle's throne, or will be when Erebor is retaken. We - understand each other, though we also have many differences," he replied.

"You say _when_ Erebor is retaken," the Elvenking picked out shrewdly.

"I believe there is more to their company than meets the eye," Legolas answered. _Or doesn't meet the eye_, he added in his head, remembering the mysterious Mr Bilbo Baggins and wondering whether dragons could see invisible hobbits or whether Smaug would just smell him instead. He somehow didn't like the idea of the hobbit being in such danger - hobbits just weren't meant for that kind of adventure. That said, Bilbo had seemed strange even for a hobbit. He doubted there were any others out there like him, invisible or not.

"I hope you are right, Legolas," said Thranduil.

"Why?" asked Legolas, though he suspected it was something to do with the gold that the mountain held. He knew a great proportion of it had been stolen from elves, as well as from the men of Dale.

"Everyone deserves a home," replied the Elvenking, to his son's complete and utter astonishment, "and I daresay Fili and Kili have suffered enough. Though I do suspect that they have grown up unexposed to the gold sickness of dwarves, and may get a shock when they meet their uncle as the true King Under the Mountain, if not fall prey to the sickness themselves,"

Legolas stared at his father, uncomprehending. Since when had he cared whether dwarves succumbed to gold sickness or not? Since when had he cared about dwarves at all? Maybe Thranduil had been more moved by the words of Durin's heirs than he had realised. In any case, it could only be a good thing.


	21. Chapter 21

_And updates are back to their usual slow pace :/ so first I would like to say sorry that I had to split the Feast Of Starlight into several (most likely three) chapters, the next part of it is coming on Monday. This is partly because my writing speed can't deal with two super long chapters in a row, and also because I will have next to no time this weekend to write, due to an orchestra thing, which leads me nicely onto my next apology (I seem to do a lot of these, don't I?) :_

_When it comes to music and instruments, I am completely selfish and biased and actually I do not offer any apology at all for the wish-fulfilment that goes on in this chapter. I just couldn't resist it._

_Shout outs for awesome reviews (that seem to be getting longer! *does a celebratory tap dance*) go to: **GregsMadHatter**, **Syblime**, **jaymzNshed**, **leggomygreggo2**, **syeern**, **tygrislily**, __**fixusi**__, **InezSophia** and **Ximena13**._

_This is the (hopefully not too) uninteresting part of the feast, so I hope you can all hold out until Monday for things to actually start happening :)_

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><p>Three days later, everything was set for Meleth en Gilith. The celebrations would commence as soon as the first star showed in the sky, and luckily the day was mostly cloudless so all held high hopes for the night. Kili had started grumbling the day before when the supply of food, which had been consistently high until now, cut off short because the cooks needed to start preparing the food that would actually be eaten at the feast rather than practising for it. Nevertheless, his spirits couldn't be dampened for long. Early in the morning they had been woken by the cacophonous sound of an orchestra tuning up, and had been out of bed in an instant to find the source. It didn't take long; a full orchestra with more instruments than Fili and Kili had seen in their lives filled the entrance hall, conducted by a stern looking elf with eyebrows so bushy that they could have belonged to a dwarf.<p>

"Fili, look at him. Nori's got competition!" whispered Kili as they stood half hidden behind a pillar, watching the many elves tune their instruments. They were nearest to the flute section, which seemed to fill almost as much space as the violins. Apparently it was a popular elven instrument.

"Why are they here?" frowned Fili, "don't they have somewhere else to rehearse?"

"Maybe whatever room they're using for the feast is being got ready," suggested Kili with a helpless shrug. They looked around the orchestra for a moment, taking in all the different instruments, some of which they had never seen the likes of.

"Look at that instrument over there," Fili pointed to the opposite side of the orchestra, "what do you think that is?"

Kili followed his brother's gaze over to where he was pointing and saw immediately what he was looking at. A brass instrument, easily big enough to fit a hobbit inside, towered above the trumpets it stood next to. It's musician was hidden behind it's great mass.

"I don't know," replied Kili, frowning, "I've never seen one of those before - no, wait! I know! It's a tuba. Remember once there was a man playing a tenor horn at the market in Ered Luin, and we asked what it was, and he told us, and you commented on how big it was and then he laughed and said 'not really, maybe one day you'll see a tuba'. I'll bet you anything that's what it is,"

Fili stared at his younger brother. "How do you remember that? I remember the tenor horn guy, but I don't remember anything he said to us - you were only about ten at the time, how on earth do you remember all that?"

"I guess he must have made a big impression on me," shrugged Kili, "after that I was desperate to learn an instrument,"

"Yeah, how could I forget," smiled Fili, "you practically clung to Uncle for a month before he bought us fiddles,"

Kili grinned mischievously, then gave a wistful sigh. "Shame we had to leave them at Bilbo's house though," he looked over at the violins, who were now tuning their four strings to the oboe's A.

"We didn't have much choice," pointed out Fili, "the space in our packs was better filled with food, we might have starved otherwise. As Uncle Thorin said, you can't eat fiddles,"

"Perhaps..." Kili trailed off.

"Perhaps what?" demanded Fili sharply, sensing mischief.

"Nothing," Kili quickly shook his head, "doesn't matter,"

Fili didn't reply but kept glancing at his brother suspiciously for the rest of the day, which they spent in the kitchens despite the disappointing lack of food. By the evening, Kili was getting quite irritated by the constant sideways looks, insisting that he wasn't up to anything, and to tell the truth his actions spoke that way, but Fili couldn't shake the feeling that his brother was just waiting for an opportunity to carry out whatever idea he had come up with that morning.

As evening fell, they made their way back to the room in order to wash and re-braid their hair and Fili's beard for the celebrations. Kili thought it a pointless task, but Fili was adamant that they appeared their best in front of so many elves. Kili still argued that since elves thought dwarves scruffy and smelly already it would take more than a neatly braided moustache to convince them otherwise. They did, however, put on some freshly washed clothes that had been altered to fit them better than the loose shirts and trousers they had been wearing previously, just in time to hear a knock at the door and Legolas's voice the other side.

"Are you ready? It's not going to begin for a while yet but there are lots of stairs between here and the great feasting hall so you might want to set off now,"

"Yeah, we're ready," Fili shouted back through the door, giving up on braiding Kili's hair with a "humph" and letting his brother comb out the resulting tangles with his fingers. Kili had never been patient when it came to having his hair braided, and the hair itself was silky and slippery and never seemed to stay where it was meant to. Hair clasps just fell out of it. This, mixed with the fact that Kili still fidgeted like a dwarfling whenever he had to sit still, did not make for an easy time for Fili whenever he tried to do anything with his brother's hair, and now he realised he was fighting a losing battle.

The door opened and Legolas stood there, looking majestic in robes of emerald green, adorned with intricate gold stitching to show his nobility. He waited for the dwarves to join him, then began to lead them through winding passages and up and down many staircases to get to the great hall.

"Isn't there an easier route?" Fili finally asked, after they descended one staircase only to be lead up another, "it feels like we're taking the longest route possible,"

"I'm taking you by the quickest way I know," replied Legolas, "sorry it's such a long way, but it was built to be hard to find. It would actually double up as a place of safety should this palace be attacked,"

"But how do they get all the food down there? They can't carry it all the way from the kitchens," Kili pointed out.

"True," agreed Legolas, "it would take days to carry all the food they make down to the hall. They have a chute which they send it all down, and there is a pulley system to bring all the empty dishes back up. Unfortunately it is too small to fit elves down, let alone dwarves,"

"Oi, are you calling us fat?" accused Kili with a snigger.

"Brother, I doubt anyone's called you fat in your life - except when referring to your head," teased Fili, earning a none-too-gentle cuff across the back of his head from his brother.

"It's better than being as fat as you are - the only person who can't call you fat is Bombur," Kili joked back, knowing his statement was far from true, but Fili laughed anyway.

"I'd rather be fat than thin as an elf, and tall at that," the elder brother countered, "you're practically a stick,"

"Is that an insult?" Legolas looked down on Fili with one eyebrow raised and an amused smirk.

"Careful brother, you're treading on fine ground now," chuckled Kili, "never accuse me of being elvish in front of the Prince of Mirkwood, he might just chop your head off,"

"I wouldn't be so sure," replied Fili, tapping his long nose knowingly, "I've beaten him once, I can do it again,"

"It was a draw, remember?" Legolas muttered under his breath, then he spoke to Kili, "do you look Elven in the eyes of dwarves? You seem very much like a dwarf to me,"

"There, see," Kili shot Fili a look of triumph before answering, "I used to be teased when I was a dwarfling for having a rather - um - un-dwarvish complexion. The fact that I preferred the bow to the axe or sword didn't help, and I've never been exactly - um - wide," he grimaced, preferring not to recall the bullying in detail, "Fili put a stop to it though. And Uncle Thorin of course. None of the dwarflings' parents wanted to mess with the King Under the Mountain,"

"The fact that most of them had never actually seen an elf in their life didn't help," Fili added, then he stopped and regarded Kili for a moment. "I still say if you had some stilts you could pass off as one though. And pointy ears, of course," he grinned as Kili scowled at him.

Just then, however, they came to a large pair of heavy wooden double doors, where Golradir and Gildor stood sulkily either side holding them open as elves filed in.

"What are you doing?" Legolas frowned at the Elven brothers, and they made identical faces of disgust.

"Acting as porters," grumbled Golradir, who was on the right side, "we hoped that this year we'd escape Tauriel's feast rota, but no, she decided to start advising Rúthen on how to organise the guard for a celebration, and here we are,"

"You have to do guard duties at a feast?" exclaimed Fili, "but shouldn't you be having fun with everyone else? That's not fair,"

"I'm sure Tauriel knows what she's doing," said Legolas, somewhat sternly "and I happen to know that she is taking a shift too, so the weight is spread more evenly,"

"Yeah, I guess we should thank her for that," admitted Gildor, "she does always organise it very fairly, actually. We only have to do a one-hour shift each,"

"Well then I'll probably see you when the food is served," grinned Legolas, and the three of them passed through the great arched doors and into the hall, leaving the Elven brothers behind them.

The hall was magnificent. The great ceiling arched overhead, and the highly polished stone floor spanned out like a sea before them. Along the walls, many decorated doors alternated with hanging tapestries and paintings, giving the room a feeling of business even though hardly anyone had arrived yet. But that wasn't the thing that took the dwarves' breath away.

In the ceiling, there were several missing panels, looking out into the fading sky above. They had been removed from the outside, since this part of the palace was underground so they were in fact looking up through the earth, but the magic that sealed the main gate also made these holes impenetrable for all but light, and they weren't removed randomly either; as the darkness fell and the first stars appeared, all the brightest stars shone right through these holes, and were reflected off mirrors perfectly positioned to catch their light at this time of year. Through a series of perfectly polished silver mirrors the starlight was reflected and focused and finally projected onto a great white circular platform in the centre of the room, adorned with a huge silver and gold painted star which glimmered in the starlight that was thrown onto it, lighting up the whole room.

Fili didn't know how long he stood staring at the huge star which lit up the room with the light of the first stars of the evening. All he knew was that when he looked up, Legolas was already the other side of the room helping unload food from trays that came sliding out of a hatch in the wall, and Kili was nowhere to be seen. He looked around frantically, but more and more elves were filing in now and however hard he tried he could not see past all the elbows and waists. He turned around on the spot, disorientated, until he decided he would simply try and make his way to a wall and figure out something from there.

It was annoying that elves were so tall, he found as he pushed past the crowd in the general direction that he guessed the nearest wall to be, not just because he couldn't see past them, but because they never seemed to see him as he barged his way through with many hasty apologies. Their line of sight was way above his head, so naturally they kept walking right into him. Finally he reached the wall and leaned against it, exhausted. He just hoped Kili was alright and hadn't been mown down by this slow stampede of tall folk.

He looked to the side, along the wall that stretched right to the end of the room, and realised that one door was open not too far from where he was standing. He made his way towards it, curious, when suddenly a familiar dark head popped out from behind it.

"Fili, come in here," Kili whispered, barely able to contain his glee.

"What is it?" Fili asked, grinning to himself at the look on his brother's face.

"Instruments!" Kili gestured dramatically into the room, and as Fili stepped into the doorway a look of awe crossed his face.

Musical instruments lay everywhere, propped carefully on top of their cases as the elves who played them hadn't bothered to put them away properly. Fili guessed the music was going to come later in the evening, but the musicians didn't want to waste time getting out instruments when the festival was in full fling. He glanced warily behind him to check they weren't being watched, then stepped into the room and closed the door soundlessly behind him. Then he followed Kili across the room, stepping carefully among flutes and clarinets, trumpets and trombones, always keeping half an eye on his brother should he stumble or trip over an instrument case, but he didn't, and eventually they were both across the room where the objects of their interest lay. Violins.

"This is what you were planning on doing earlier, wasn't it?" Fili realised suddenly, "you wanted to try out the elvish fiddles,"

"You guessed it, brother," grinned Kili.

The fiddles - or rather violins to the elves - were the same size as dwarvish fiddles but were more delicately crafted and lighter in weight. The bows that went alongside them used white horse hair, instead of the black that Fili and Kili were used to, but in the end horse hair was horse hair and made the same sort of sound when dragged across a string.

Kili had already picked up a violin and was applying copious amounts of resin to the bow, but Fili put out a hand to stop him.

"Don't put too much on, we don't want it to be too loud, and if we are found we are in big trouble," he warned his brother. Kili shrugged with a grin but put down the resin and lifted the violin to his chin.

"Hey, it's bigger than my fiddle," he complained, shifting it around to try and get it comfortable. Fili could see that his arm was more stretched than it usually was when playing a fiddle so he picked up another violin to see if it was the same.

"No, this one's normal," he confirmed, plucking the open strings lightly with a finger.

Kili frowned and lowered the oversized violin to compare it against Fili's normal violin. There was only a couple of inches between them, but Kili's was definitely bigger and wider in the body.

"Can I try it?" asked Fili, intrigued. Kili nodded and handed over the violin. Fili put it to his chin and nearly dropped it - his arm wasn't long enough to hold it properly. This sent Kili into a fit of giggles, making Fili turn and frown. But he understood - his brother always enjoyed beating him at things, and it seemed he had now beaten Fili at having long enough arms to play an oversized violin. Fili chuckled to himself, not at all annoyed that Kili had one-upped him this time. He understood perhaps better than anyone how his brother needed to have his own accomplishments; it was what gave him confidence.

Handing back the violin, Fili said, "now you've shown you can hold it, let's see if you can play it,"

"Course I can!" scoffed Kili, tightening the bow and taking the violin. He put it once again to his shoulder and played the top two strings together to check it was in tune. Simultaneously, both dwarves frowned.

"That's not right. These strings are tuned all wrong!" Kili said, holding the big violin with just his chin for a moment so he could use his left hand to move the tuning pegs while his right hand bowed the strings.

"No, wait," cut in Fili, before his brother did anything drastic to the instrument, "that sounded like a fifth. Let me just check - " he picked up the normal violin and played the A string. Kili took the hint and played his top string, the one which on a normal violin should have been an E.

"It's an A!" he exclaimed, playing it louder and checking the fine tuning of the string against Fili's violin, "the A string is in the wrong place! What if the others are too? Fili, play your D string,"

Fili obliged, and Kili played his next string down. When a clear D rang out across the instrument littered room, his eyes widened, and he tried the next string just as Fili switched to his G. Sure enough, it was the same. That was Fili's bottom string though, and Kili still had one more that was lower. As he played it, a rich, warm sound filled the room and Fili tried to echo the octave on his violin.

"It's a C," Fili confirmed, "which makes sense. Down a fifth from G,"

Kili nodded, a smile slowly forming on his face. Fili watched anxiously as he waited for his brother to share his newest idea.

"Do you think it plays just like a normal violin?" he asked.

"I don't see why it shouldn't," frowned Fili, "but we won't be able to play our usual duets, you'll be a fifth too low,"

"You could just play it one string down," pointed out Kili.

"I don't have a C string though. Could you play it one string up?" Fili asked, adjusting the tightness of his bow fractionally.

"Fine," agreed Kili, "you lead us in,"

Fili lifted his violin a little, then brought it down again with the first note. It was all the signal his brother needed, after all the years of playing together and mastering the art of telepathy. The tune they struck up was a dance, a lively piece with interweaving melodies and a strong beat, which they had often played at celebrations back in the Blue Mountains. At times Kili dropped out for a note or two as his part went too high to play without an E string, but other times he managed it by moving high up the A string instead. Just as they got to the final chorus, the door was flung open with a loud bang, and the noise from the celebration the other side flooded into the room. The dwarves stopped abruptly in their tune and stared towards the door.

In the doorway stood a very tall, very intimidating and very cross elf. He closed the door behind him to shut out the noise, then moved into the room, carefully treading between instruments, until he was close enough to tower over Fili and Kili, who were still guiltily holding their violins.

"What are you doing with these instruments?" he demanded, heavy black eyebrows contracting until they appeared as one.

Kili was the first to find his voice, "we were only playing them, sir,"

"I was not aware the dwarves were a musical folk,"

"Oh no sir, we have lots of instruments and we sing all the time," Kili replied, as Fili nodded in assent.

"Well I'll have you know that is my instrument you are holding," the wood elf scowled menacingly at Kili, and held out his hand for the oversized violin.

"Oh, I'm sorry sir," replied Kili guiltily, holding out the instrument for him to take, "it's a strange violin alright but it makes a great sound,"

"VIOLIN? _VIOLIN_?" The elf's face was at once furious and incredulous, "you call this a _violin_? What, do you not have these where you come from?"

Kili shook his head saying, "no, I'm afraid we only have normal fiddles," and Fili stared wide eyed, hoping the elf would not explode with rage.

"I'll have you know, this is _not_ a _violin_. This is a viola!" he said, taking a few deep breaths, and to Fili's relief he seemed to be cooling off a bit. Fili also noticed that for some strange reason he was stroking his instrument tenderly, as if it were a child. Perhaps that explained his overprotectiveness.

"Viola...like the flower?" asked Kili, interested.

"No, not like the flower. _Vee-oh-la_. Viola," replied the elf briskly, "it is distinguished from the violin by its slightly larger size - this one is sixteen and a half inches long - and having a C string instead of an E string,"

"Yes, we worked that much out," Kili replied amiably, trying to subtly judge how far he could go without setting the elf fuming again, "but if you wouldn't mind, I would like to play it a bit more. It is a very nice instrument and I've never seen one like it,"

The elf stared hard at Kili for a few moments, then looked at Fili, who was still holding the violin. It was as if he was sizing up their abilities, to see whether he trusted them with his precious instrument, and for a moment it looked like he was going to say no, but then he nodded, and to both dwarves' surprise, he smiled slyly.

"Ok, you can play it," he replied, but when Kili reached out for the viola he stepped back and lifted it out of his reach, grinning now, "on one condition,"


	22. Chapter 22

_As promised, the second part of the Feast of Starlight! A couple of you requested some Kili/Tauriel and though this is not a slash fic I am quite happy to accommodate a little romance, since it's clear that they have feelings for each other, so it's only short but please let me know how I did on that front :)_

_Shout outs today go to: **Syblime, RascalKat, Shreeg, InezSophia, Pucaroo, fixusi, jaymzNshed, sarah0406, tygrislily, leggomygreggo2, MomoftheShire, parisindy, Enna **and** GregsMadHatter. **So many! Wow, I love you all._

_I hope I've got all the Valar stuff correct in this chapter. I've only read a bit of the Silmarillion, so please correct me if I've got any of it wrong._

_Enjoy the chapter :)_

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><p>About half an hour later, when the party was in full swing, the two brothers stood nervously at the edge of the crowd clutching a violin each and trying desperately not to get squashed by the many elves who never seemed to notice them. Fili held Kili's bow so that the latter could use a crutch with one hand, the pair abandoned in the instrument room in favour of a violin. The viola had been left behind because while it was certainly fun to play, Kili didn't feel he was quite ready to perform with it - which was what they were about to do. It was the viola player's request, because as it turned out he was rather a rebellious elf and thought dwarves playing at an elvish festival would be quite a laugh. Fili and Kili had to agree.<p>

The viola player, who had just been talking to the conductor of the orchestra that Fili and Kili had seen that morning, now stepped up onto the platform in the centre of the room and was immediately illuminated by starlight. His voice boomed across the echoing hall as he addressed the elves who filled it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the entertainment for tonight was planned to begin with some dances played by a small ensemble," he gestured to several elves to one side of the podium, who Fili guessed were the musicians they were replacing, "but there has been a slight change of plans. The first dance tonight will be played by Fili and Kili, our dwarvish guests,"

He stepped aside, beckoning for Fili and Kili to ascend the stage. When they reached the top, Kili put down his crutch so that he could take the bow from Fili, and grinned as they were welcomed with applause. Fili couldn't help thinking, however, that it was somewhat half-hearted, and he could see several elves who were not clapping at all but glaring mistrustfully. _Let them glare_, he thought, _they'll be clapping soon enough._

Fili glanced over to his brother, and saw that Kili was positively soaking up the attention with a grin that was as infectious as it was wide. He raised his eyebrows ever so slightly, a silent question, and Kili gave the smallest of nods. Counting them in in his head, Fili barely had to lift his violin for Kili to know when he was about to start. Their bows hit the strings at precisely the same moment, and the song began.

There was usually a dance they did with this song, but though Kili had pleaded, Fili had insisted that doing a highly energetic dance on a small platform with a half-healed ankle was a recipe for disaster, and in the end the younger brother had been the one to give in. As they burst into the chorus, an elf somewhere in the crowd started clapping along, and soon the whole hall was doing it. The elves didn't know the proper dance, and of course they couldn't dance it nearly as well as dwarves could in Fili's opinion, but some of them still had a go at linking arms and skipping in circles. To be honest, it was really quite funny watching them all attempt 'dwarvish' dancing (though it was really nothing like it) with their long legs and gangly arms that were much more suited to being graceful, and Fili began to scan the crowd for Legolas, since it would be something he could tease the Prince about later. He found him, but to his disappointment he wasn't joining in with the dancing but just standing and clapping his hands.

He had to look back at Kili a moment later, however, because they had come to the part in the song where the verse repeated several times, getting faster each time, and they could do it best when they had eye contact because that way they could accelerate constantly, keeping in time with each other. As the tempo began to increase, Fili found his grin getting wider and wider, since this was Kili's favourite part of the song. He had to admit, there was something exhilarating about it, and it was at times like this - when his and Kili's minds were completely in sync - that he sometimes felt closest to his brother.

Finally they reached the last three chords, and with a flourish both dwarves finished together and grinned at each other as the hall erupted in cheers and applause and calls for another piece. They were out of breath from the last one, and hadn't planned on doing more than one song, but Kili looked eagerly at Fili for instruction. Fili looked desperately around for inspiration, because he didn't have any idea.

"What should we play next?" Kili asked brightly.

"I don't know," replied Fili, "we haven't practised anything else,"

Kili regarded him sternly, "we never practise anything before we play it. Why are you so worried?"

"I don't know," said Fili again, "maybe it's the crowd,"

"Come on, we'll just play another dance, that's what they asked for anyway. How about that one with all the double-stopping?" Kili suggested.

Fili hesitated a moment, then said, "ok, you lead us in this time,"

Kili lifted his bow, and Fili mimed his actions so that their bows hit the strings at precisely the same moment. This piece went at a slightly steadier piece than the last one, but the thing that made it hard was the double stopping - each of them had two notes to play, which they managed by bowing two adjacent strings at once. This meant that there were in fact four separate parts, and it took some tricky finger work to get it right, but this was one of their most practised pieces from back in Ered Luin and it came off without a hitch. The audience loved it just as much as the last one, and before long they were dancing again.

As soon as the piece had ended with a strummed chord, the viola player hopped up onto the stage beside them and indicated that their performance time was over. They took bows, then returned to the floor as the viola player began to introduce the next entertainment. As they went back through the crowd, however, they found themselves being stopped by two elves who were amongst a group carrying violins.

"Excuse me - Fili -"

Fili whirled round at the sound of his name. The elf who had spoken it was not one he recognised, but he supposed everyone round here knew his and Kili's names now and he shouldn't be surprised.

"You've got my violin," said the elf, "and I need it for the next piece,"

Fili frowned. For some reason he didn't feel comfortable talking to this elf - he seemed rather snobbish, reflected in the fact that he hadn't actually asked directly for the violin. Fili decided to ignore it though and proceeded to hand over the violin with an apology for taking it and how he was looking forward to the orchestra playing. Kili too passed his violin to the other elf who stood beside the first, with a smile that was returned. Just as they turned to leave, Fili thought he caught out of the corner of his eye a very suspicious look from the elf he had just returned the violin to, but as he walked away with Kili he decided to ignore it. Elves looked at them like that all the time, it was nothing he hadn't seen before.

As the dancing continued, Fili and Kili stood side by side against the wall, trying not to get trampled but not daring to join in. They had no idea how to do elvish dancing, though there didn't seem to be much order to it anyway, and there was no one to show them how. At that moment, however, Tauriel appeared in front of them, smiling and out of breath from the dancing. She was wearing a gown for the first time they had seen, though it was her usual shade of green, and she curtsied low before them holding her hand out to Kili.

"It should really be you asking me, but - care to dance?" she asked with a grin.

Kili looked at Fili, not sure whether he should be dancing on his ankle, but Fili just shrugged with a knowing smile. If Tauriel thought it would be alright then he wasn't going to argue. Kili grinned, then shoved his remaining crutch at Fili's chest without hesitation and took Tauriel's hand. A moment later she had dragged him onto the dance floor with no regard whatsoever for the correct dance steps, and they were whirling round wildly to the bemusement of many elves and the stern disapproval of others. Whenever Fili caught sight of them through the crowd he always thought how funny it looked, those two dancing together, due to how much Tauriel towered over Kili, but it was also wonderful to see Kili so vibrantly happy, a permanent grin covering his face.

He himself did not feel in a mood for dancing right then, and decided to go looking for Legolas who he suspected would not be dancing either, as he hadn't been earlier. After propping Kili's crutch against the wall where he would be able to find it later, it didn't take him long to find the Prince, the gold trim on his robes singling him out from the elves around. He was standing at the end of the hall, near where the food was being laid out on great long tables, and he was reluctantly attempting to talk politely with an elf maiden who seemed - to put it lightly - rather flirtatious; her hair was done up so elaborately that her whole head seemed to be a hive of braids and delicate little pink flowers, and Fili didn't know what scent she wore but he could smell it strongly from where he stood about six feet away. He decided it was about time to release Legolas of his burden.

Walking boldly up to the prince, Fili said loudly, "Prince Legolas, your father demands your attention immediately, in private,"

Legolas looked over, alarmed, but Fili gave him a quick wink when the elf maiden wasn't looking, and his face relaxed in understanding.

"Ah, I am so sorry, I must go immediately," he said hastily to the elf maiden, who pouted childishly behind his back as he turned and followed Fili away from her into the crowd.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Legolas grinned down at the dwarf.

"Thanks, you saved me a lot of trouble there. She was only just getting started," he glanced nervously behind him to check they weren't being followed, "it's the only thing I don't enjoy about parties - all the swooning maidens,"

"Really? I thought you would be enjoying all the attention," Fili remarked cheekily, but Legolas scoffed.

"Enjoying it? Why would I enjoy a girl practically throwing herself at me? I'm meant to be understanding and compassionate to my subjects, but how am I meant to be sympathetic when she expects me to believe that she had twenty brothers and sisters who all died of the same horrible disease in the space of a week?" He cast a sideways glance at Fili. "You haven't had that sort of experience, have you?"

Fili shook his head, "not really. I mean, there were a couple of lasses who I think had their eye on me back in Ered Luin, but there are so few dwarrowdams around it's a wonder there was even one,"

"Did you have your eye on any of them?" asked Legolas, knowing he was being nosy but finding himself intrigued by dwarvish culture.

"No - not when we left anyway. I had a couple of childish crushes, as anyone does, but Kili teased me so much when I confided in him that I came to the conclusion for several years that fancying a girl was more trouble than it was worth," replied Fili, "and after that I guess I couldn't be bothered. Mahal knows I've got to use both eyes to stop Kili getting into trouble, and I'd need three if I wanted to spare one for a girl,"

Legolas chuckled, then wondered out loud, "did Kili have anyone?"

"I don't think so," Fili answered, scanning the crowd to see if he could see his brother, "he never really went through that phase of fancying every girl he set eyes on. I think he was waiting for his beard to grow a bit,"

"Waiting for his beard to grow?" Legolas asked, amused, "is that an important feature of a dwarf?"

"Of course," replied Fili incredulously, "one of the most important, along with the nose. It is a sign of maturity and looks very attractive if cared for properly,"

"But Kili's still got a long way to go, hasn't he?" commented Legolas.

"Yeah," chuckled Fili, stroking his own beard thoughtfully, "quite a way," _or maybe not so far,_ he added in his head, as he finally caught a glimpse of Kili's dark hair spinning round out of time to the music with Tauriel following barely a step behind, the glimpse of her face he caught laughing wildly.

The younger Durin's affection for her had been clear to Fili for ages now, and though he couldn't imagine how his uncle would react to the knowledge that his youngest nephew had feelings for an elf, he didn't have a problem with it himself, especially since he knew and trusted Tauriel, and besides, Kili owed her his life. Maybe that would persuade Thorin if it came to it - then again, it would be better not to tell him in the first place, and anyway Fili didn't know when they would see the company again so now wasn't really the time to worry about that. Just concentrate on enjoying the party.

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><p>For about the third time, Tauriel quickly pulled Kili out of the way of yet another elf who bustled past without so much as a downward glance. It really was quite irritating how they never seemed to notice him.<p>

"Have you had this problem all evening?" she asked him, shooting yet another elf a look of irritation as they practically tripped over the dwarf. She knew his ankle was well enough to be swung round a dance floor, but if it ended up at the bottom of a pile of stumbling elves it was likely to be a different story.

"Yup," replied Kili with a shrug, "Fili and me escaped into the instrument room and found a...a...viola, I think it was called. Not like the flower," he added.

Tauriel smiled slyly, "does that have anything to do with your fiddle performance, by any chance?"

Kili chuckled, "yeah, that was the condition the viola player made for letting me play his instrument. Actually, I didn't expect him to turn out so friendly. He was downright scary when he first found us,"

"I find musicians can be like that," agreed Tauriel, "very protective of their instruments,"

Kili scoffed, "we dwarves aren't. Even Thorin isn't that protective of his harp,"

Tauriel nearly choked in astonishment. "Thorin plays the _harp_?"

Kili laughed at her expression, and nodded, "better than anyone I know,"

"Wow, you dwarves do have more sides than you let on. And I thought you were all just stubborn warriors," she laughed, "do you have any other strange hobbies I should know of?"

Kili thought for a moment, then said, "no, unless you count climbing trees,"

"That's not particularly strange," said Tauriel.

"It is for a dwarf," Kili reminded her, "we tend to prefer the ground. I've nothing against rock, it's just - trees feel more natural, if you know what I mean,"

"Yes, I understand," Tauriel nodded, then quickly ducked as another pair of dancers nearly hit her with their outstretched arms. Reflexes of an experienced fighter were becoming unexpectedly handy in the crowded celebration.

"What do you like to do?" asked Kili.

Tauriel frowned, thinking. All she could think of was archery - it would be no overstatement to say that her whole life up until now had been dedicated to the palace guard, which was the reason she had gained such a high position at such a relatively young age. But now that was gone - what was her purpose in life?

"Disobeying orders and fraternising with the enemy," she quoted the Elvenking with a wry smile, and watched as Kili broke into a grin.

"You mean building up good inter-race relationships?" he rephrased.

"I mean spending time with you," laughed Tauriel, and Kili broke into a huge grin as she continued, "I don't honestly know a time I've enjoyed myself more than in the last few days, what with the tournament and now the feast. We have this feast every year, but somehow this year is better,"

"I suspect it is all to do with the fact that there are dwarves attending an elvish festival," Kili grinned, then he asked a question that had been on his mind for a while, "but what puzzles me is why you celebrate the starlight. I mean, what's so special about it?"

"It belongs to Varda, the lady of the stars, wife of Manwë, who is too beautiful to walk on this earth but resides in the sky, watching over us at night. We elves love her best of all the Valar," replied Tauriel, then she grinned, "follow me,"

"Ok," replied Kili, wondering where they could be going and hoping it wouldn't be very far - his ankle was starting to ache a little.

Tauriel led him through the crowd again, and though it was hard for Kili to see which direction they were heading, he took a guess that it was towards the opposite end to where the great door was, from the positioning of the holes in the roof. He didn't ask any questions, but followed Tauriel with utmost trust to a place in the wall where there was a sturdy wooden door, no different to those that led into rooms on either side. This one however, when Tauriel opened it, was a little different. A steep, narrow staircase ascended from it, and it looked like it went right outside.

"You go first," Tauriel told him, holding the door open, but he shook his head.

"No, ladies first," he said firmly, "we dwarves may seem smelly and rude at times, but we do have manners,"

"You go first," repeated Tauriel, though she did smile at Kili's comment, "then if you fall, I'll be able to catch you,"

"And then we'll both go down," Kili replied with a raised eyebrow, but nevertheless he obediently began to climb the stairs, Tauriel following closely behind.

It was slow progress, since he didn't have his crutch, but they made it to the top without any trips or stumbles. At the top there was a wooden trap door, which Tauriel reached up and pushed open since Kili wasn't quite tall enough to reach it, and they ascended a short ladder to find themselves in the open air. They were near enough the river to hear its constant swish and gurgle in the background, but not quite out of the forest - they were surrounded by trees, but they were in a sort of large glade which was not covered by branches overhead, open to the air above so that it felt safe and protected but spacious and airy. It was dark, the turf around them lit only by the stars and the moon, which was barely a sliver of light in the night sky. The air was cool and a light breeze blew around them and made Tauriel's long green gown flutter with a scent not of autumn, but of the coming winter.

As they slid the wooden hatch back over the hole in the ground, the turf covering the wood making it almost invisible in its surroundings, Kili suddenly asked, "what day is it?"

Tauriel frowned, "I do not know your dwarvish counting system," then she paused, as Kili's face became unreadable as he stared at the new moon. "Kili, what's wrong?"

"Was the moon visible last night?" His voice was quiet, and seemed to hold some fear.

"Yes, I saw it when I went out quite late to check the ceiling panels for the starlight," Tauriel replied, still frowning, "but not the night before that, I don't think,"

"Then they could already be dead," Kili almost whispered, but Tauriel's sharp ears picked it up immediately.

"Who?" she couldn't help but ask, though she knew the answer. What she really wanted to ask was how Kili knew this just by looking at the moon.

"Everyone. Bofur and Bifur and Bombur and Ori and Nori and Dori and Oin and Gloin and Balin and Dwalin and Uncle Thorin. And Mr Baggins. They could all be dead by now," Kili stared at the moon now as if it were a scythe carried by Death himself, sitting down abruptly on a clump of turf.

Tauriel sat down next to him, as close as was appropriate. "I don't think they are," she said quietly.

Kili looked at her, searching her face for a glimmer of hope. "How can you be sure?"

Smiling knowingly, Tauriel replied, "because there haven't been any recent sightings of the dragon reported from Lake Town - we would know if he has been disturbed. But what does the moon tell you about it?"

"Durin's day is the last new moon of autumn. That's when the secret door was meant to open, so they could all get into Erebor," Kili replied, comforted somewhat by Tauriel's words but worried nonetheless. "If they didn't get there in time, the only other way into the mountain is through the front gate, and that would mean certain death,"

"Then I think we can assume they got in through the secret door," Tauriel concluded with another smile. She didn't know why, but she couldn't help but smile all the time she was around Kili, no matter what the conversation. It was like there was a spark inside him which could jump between them to light a candle inside her which warmed her own heart.

"The stars are beautiful," Kili commented, leaning back on his elbows to gaze upwards into the sky.

Tauriel followed his lead, leaning back to stare into the distant heavens. She did not reply.

"I wish they were closer," Kili continued, in Tauriel's absence of voice, "they are always there, but always just as distant, just as unreachable. You worship them, but they can never return that love. They are never any closer to you, because that's against the nature of the world. They were made to walk the heavens, and we were made to walk the earth, and our paths will never truly cross, except to look in wonder and to wish that things could be a different way,"

Tauriel glanced at Kili, not quite understanding his description and yet understanding completely. It didn't really make sense taken literally, but she knew in her heart of hearts that he wasn't talking about the stars. And she wished it could be a different way.

"You say they cannot return that love," she began slowly, "but I do not agree. The stars love the earth just as the earth loves the stars, but the stars cannot come nearer because they are locked in their movements and their patterns, their duty to light the night sky. They long to be with they earth just as the earth longs to be with them, but they are bound to their course and must hold it as long as they live - unless they break away from the path set out for them and fall in a blaze of fire and light, never to return to the sky,"

"And can stars do that?" asked Kili, turning his head to meet Tauriel's gaze.

She looked at him a long time before she answered, as if realising for the first time how much he actually meant to her. She had risked everything for him before she had even known him and yet, though things had changed, one thing had remained the same: she would risk everything if only it meant their time together was lengthened, even by the smallest amount. There was no question. Her decision was already made.

"If the earth can accept them," she replied.


	23. Chapter 23

_Alas! My never-more-than-three-days-between-updates streak is broken! Sorry guys! School has been crazily busy, mainly because I had a ridiculous amount of maths homework which I hadn't been able to do last weekend because of the orchestra thing which meant I had to catch up on it during the week instead of writing this :(_

_I have also had a short bout of writer's block - actually, it's more like the evil side of me and the nice side of me have been waging an all-out war on how this is going to end. Don't ask me who won, I'm not sure myself and I have a feeling it is still going on. Feel free to cheer on whichever side you're on, it might bring my internal battle to an earlier conclusion, which I would be very grateful for!_

_Shout outs for reviews (which have spurred me to spend all evening writing today, the only reason why this chapter is finished) go to: **tygrislily**, **jaymzNshed**, **Shreeg**, **fixusi**, __**Syblime**__, **NenYim**, **GregsMadHatter** and **leggomygreggo2**. Thank you all!_

_If updates remain slow in the next week, it's because I have an imminent Italian controlled assessment. I have to learn 500 words of italian that I have pre-written, on the topic of "money and shopping", then blurt it back out parrot-fashion in a speaking exam. I know, it's stupid. But it counts for 7.5% of my GCSE so I might as well get it right :/_

_I know I said 3 chapters for the feast. Well, next chapter will kind of be the feast as well. It just worked out that way. Anyway, sorry for the long author's note and enjoy the chapter! _

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><p>A short time later, the long tables, already laden with food, were being moved into the centre of the room by a long line of elves, and wooden benches were being pulled up against them. At the far end of the longest table stood a regal, high-backed chair on which the Elvenking himself would sit. Legolas was doing his best to assist the effort, but Fili found it was rather difficult to join in with all the bench-shifting because the elves, though they smiled in a friendly manner, didn't seem to want his help. He suspected that some of them were still suspicious of him, like the elf to whom he had returned the violin.<p>

Before long, everything was set out perfectly and all the elves around him seemed to be finding places to sit along the benches, so Fili looked around for Legolas again and saw him sitting at the far end, to the right of his father's chair. Fili wasn't sure whether he was allowed to sit so near the Elvenking, or indeed if he wanted to, but Legolas saw him and beckoned him over, so he hurried towards his friend and saw that there was an empty space next to him.

"Aren't these places reserved or anything?" Fili asked, and Legolas shook his head.

"Nope, everyone just sits wherever," the Prince replied, "apart from father of course, and I'm expected to sit next to him, but everyone else just sits where they want,"

Fili climbed awkwardly over the bench to fill the gap, and suddenly found that his feet were quite a way off the floor but the table almost at his chin.

"Well this is awkward," he remarked, looking from side to side at the elbows sandwiching him. He didn't know the elf on his right, but the elf seemed to be oblivious right now that a dwarf had just sat down next to him. He was leaning down the table in an animated conversation with another elf, but Fili was sure that if he had noticed his presence, there would have been a greater reaction.

Legolas laughed and regarded Fili's slight height problem. "I'm afraid these tables weren't designed for dwarves," he apologised, "if you want I can get a cushion for you to sit on,"

Fili quickly shook his head, slightly embarrassed. "No, thanks, I think I'll do fine like this. Less far from the food to my mouth this way,"

"So no one will notice your appalling dwarvish manners?" Legolas teased with a chuckle.

"I have very good manners thank you very much!" retorted Fili in mock offence, "as if I could spend half a year traveling with the most fussy hobbit in Middle Earth and not learn every law of etiquette ever invented,"

"Well in that case, make sure they're your best," Legolas suddenly whispered, looking down the tables and sitting up straighter, "prove to my father that he was right to let you stay,"

Fili looked up in alarm, and the whole room fell silent. Thranduil had just entered through the great arched doorway and was making his way majestically towards his seat, his eyes sweeping over his subjects in approval and finally coming to rest on Legolas. Almost as if a warm hand had closed over a shard of ice, they softened and a rare smile graced the King's features. It was only a moment later when he noticed Fili.

Fili gulped as the Elvenking's eyes hardened the instant they fell on him, an unreadable expression flickering swiftly over Thranduil's face before a curious expression overtook it, to Fili's great relief. Maybe he would be given a chance after all. Thranduil came to rest in front of his great wooden chair, but did not sit down; instead, he began to address the hall in Sindarin. After what felt like five minutes at least, Fili's brain had switched off, and had the table not been so close beneath his chin, he was sure his head would have been drooping.

At last the speech ended, and Fili was brought out of his stupor abruptly as the hall seemed to move as one, reaching out towards the many savoury dishes lined up along the centre of the table and helping themselves. He began to reach over for a dish that he recognised - one which the chefs in the kitchen had practised quite a lot and had polished to perfection - but then he stopped. His arm wasn't long enough to reach it. Feeling extremely foolish, he turned to Legolas, who was helping himself to vegetables.

"Um...Legolas...could you perhaps pass me that dish there please?" he muttered, fully aware that Thranduil's hawk-like eyes were scrutinising his every move.

Legolas reached out and easily passed Fili the thing he had pointed at, then without being asked he proceeded to load Fili's plate with an assortment of vegetables and savouries until there was barely a space on the plate anywhere.

"Thanks...I think," Fili mumbled, and Legolas grinned down on him.

"Don't worry, I won't poison you," he said, "the cooks prepared all this stuff anyway, and it hasn't killed you yet,"

Fili laughed, but he could feel Thranduil's eyes boring into him, so he focused his attention back to his food and began to systematically taste each dish; it appeared that Legolas had put all the best food onto his plate, because even the stuff he had never tasted before was so good he thought he could live off it forever. They ate in silence for a few minutes, while the rest of the room filled with noise from other conversations (though they were mostly in Sindarin so Fili could not understand any of it), and then the Elvenking spoke, quite suddenly, in the common tongue.

"Fili, son of Dis. My son tells me great things of you," Thranduil said, not at all coldly or unpleasantly, catching Fili by surprise.

"Um...thank you," he replied, not quite sure if this was the right thing to say, but Thranduil didn't seem to mind.

"He says you are quite adept with twin swords," the Elvenking continued.

Fili looked up suddenly at Legolas, panicking. Had Legolas told Thranduil of the river incident? The look on the Prince's face, however, told him no, Thranduil did not know a thing about the river incident, and he relaxed.

"I've been training with them for a long time," Fili replied modestly.

"But it is not a traditional dwarvish weapon?"

"No, not very," said Fili, "though many of us use one sword,"

"And your brother uses a bow,"

"Aye, he does," Fili couldn't help but smile, "the best shot in Ered Luin,"

"I hear he even beat some of the guard," Thranduil said, and Fili could tell he was curious to judge just how good Kili actually was. Maybe the Elvenking was trying to gauge the rest of the company's chances of success from his and Kili's abilities.

"He beat most of them," Fili replied proudly, "he scored a perfect bullseye on the moving target,"

"Did he now?" Thranduil raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised, but pleasantly so. Fili nodded, glad that Thranduil was impressed. It meant there was all the more chance of forging a friendship with the elves when Erebor was reclaimed -

Fili stopped his own chain of thoughts abruptly and tried hard not to laugh out loud. Had Thorin heard that idea - or even himself three weeks ago - he would have dismissed it as ridiculous, a joke at best and a very bad one at that. But now it didn't seem too far off. Things had changed a lot, certainly, and they had all learned more than they would ever have believed possible from this stay, elves and dwarves alike. Maybe the time was near in the future when both races would live side by side in perfect harmony - sure, it was an absurd notion to most folk, and would mean a lot of work on both sides plus plenty of time...maybe when he was King it would be possible...

Smiling to himself and shaking his head slightly, Fili chided himself for his thoughts. It was no use thinking that far ahead when there was still a dragon in Erebor which they would have to get rid of somehow if it was ever going to become once again a dwarvish kingdom. He turned his attention back to the Elvenking.

Ironically, the conversation turned next to the Lonely Mountain, and Fili answered all of the Elvenking's questions as politely but as vaguely as he could. He did not want to accidentally promise anything that Thorin would be unwilling to give - namely, any of the riches Erebor held - but he also was not going to back down when Thranduil mentioned how futile the whole thing was, and how they should have turned back when they had the chance, though in more haughty and roundabout terms that merely implied his opinion without incurring Fili's wrath at point blank range. Legolas stayed mostly silent throughout this conversation.

As the dessert was being brought onto the tables, Fili began to wonder where Kili was, since he had assumed he was sitting somewhere with Tauriel but hadn't yet been able to catch a glimpse of his brother. Why did elves have to be so tall and hard to see over? As he looked upwards at all the heads around him, the ceiling once again caught Fili's eye. The starlight overhead was mesmerising, and from where he was sitting, Fili could see clearly through one of the larger holes in the roof, up to where the moon shone brightly in the sky, a sickle as sharp as any sword.

It hit Fili all at once. Judging by the moon, Durin's day had been and gone. When had it happened? Yesterday? The day before? Was this even Durin's day, and the moon hadn't been visible last night? He had to know.

"Legolas," he began, not caring that he was interrupting a conversation between the elf prince and the elf sitting opposite him. Legolas turned sharply at the edge in Fili's voice.

"Is everything ok, Fili?" he asked, frowning.

"When was the new moon?" Fili asked.

"Yesterday, I think," replied Legolas, brows still creased, "is it important?"

"It means that the rest of the company are already inside Erebor, if all went well," Fili answered, though to tell the truth he felt a little uneasy. He wished he could be with them, in the home he had only heard stories of. He wished he could know for certain that they were alright.

Thranduil raised an eyebrow, having heard the conversation. "We have heard of no sightings of the dragon, so I do not think he has been disturbed, which means your company have either entered unnoticed or not reached the Mountain at all. But I am curious as to how your company planned to enter the Lonely Mountain without detection. Dragons have a keen sense of smell,"

"I don't think my uncle would appreciate me disclosing that information," Fili replied apologetically, feeling uneasy under the Elvenking's scrutinising stare.

"Not that it matters, really," added Legolas quickly, "the main thing is that they got in alright,"

Fili nodded in agreement, and though Thranduil's eyes narrowed momentarily, his features quickly returned to a placid expression of mild interest.

"In any case, I think we can assume they are safe - from the dragon at least," said Thranduil, not reassuring Fili in the slightest. There were so many things implied in the last part of that statement that it all began to nag at him at once. What if the men of Laketown had locked them up? What if orcs had got to them? There were so many little things that could have gone wrong between here and Erebor, it was impossible to know for sure if they had even reached the mountain.

Suddenly, the sky overhead was lit momentarily red. Not many elves seemed to notice - Fili was the only one staring up through the ceiling the moment it happened - but it made his blood run cold.

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><p>Kili and Tauriel lay side by side for a long time, staring up at the sky. Tauriel could hear faint clatters from below, so she assumed the feasting had started, but she didn't mind that she was missing it. It was much nicer up here, with Kili. Peaceful. A perfectly still night. The stars overhead seemed to wink down at her knowingly, and she wished she could see what they saw - whatever it was they did see. More than she had ever realised before, she wanted to go out into the world and see things, meet people, escape the slowly crumbling shelter of her home in Mirkwood. It was as if the forest had been her only reality all her life until now, but the dwarves had burst that bubble like a pin, revealing a world more vast and exciting and dangerous than she had ever dreamed.<p>

And Kili. Kili had opened up a part of her soul she had never known existed. He had come crashing into her heart and lodged himself there as deeply and firmly as an arrow would. She turned her head to glance at him with a smile, and found him staring at her with unconfined admiration. She could feel a blush creeping to her cheeks.

"The stars are up there," she said jokingly, pointing towards the heavens with one long finger.

"And you are here," Kili replied with a smirk, "and I think you're more beautiful, so I'm going to continue looking this way if you don't mind,"

Tauriel knew she was definitely blushing now. One thing she loved about Kili was his complete openness and fearlessness of what other people might think. It reminded her of something Fili had told her - Kili always did what people least expected, and did it confidently. She turned her head back to look up at the dark, starlit sky, and let out a long sigh.

"When will you be leaving for Erebor?" she asked after a while.

Kili sighed a little mournfully, "Fili says soon. Depends on whether Thranduil lends us ponies or not,"

"There are no ponies in Mirkwood," replied Tauriel, "we only have horses, and I doubt they would be of much use to you,"

"No," Kili seemed to brighten up slightly, as if he was pleased that they would be staying a little longer in Mirkwood. Tauriel guessed that he was.

"Unless you got an elf to ride with you," she added, and watched as Kili frowned.

"I don't think Fili plans to travel with anyone else," he said, "and Uncle Thorin certainly wouldn't be pleased if an elf turned up at Erebor,"

That was a slight hitch in her plan, she realised. But if she was with Kili and Fili, surely there would be some way around it...? Kili was looking at her in a curious way now, so she decided it was time to come out with her idea.

"I was sort of hoping to travel with you," she admitted, feeling strangely warm inside as Kili's youthful face broke into a wide grin.

"Really?" he exclaimed, and as Tauriel nodded he propped himself up on his elbows with a slight grunt, "that's great! I'm sure Uncle Thorin won't mind - well, I can't be sure about that, but once he hears what you've done - and you can stay for as long as you want, and don't worry about Uncle, he won't make you leave if I tell him not to -"

Kili stopped abruptly, staring into the sky, but his eyes were not focused on the stars. As Tauriel followed his gaze, a large black shape glided across the heavens, it's silhouette illuminated suddenly by a great wall of fire that spewed from its dagger-toothed mouth.

Tauriel was on her feet instantly, Kili barely a heartbeat behind, his hand instinctively seeking out hers without even realising what he was doing. Her strong fingers laced around his and she pulled him firmly backwards towards the trap door, all the while staring in horrified awe at the great form of the dragon which could easily mean their imminent deaths. In moments, they were inside the earthy staircase and looking at each other with shared dread, both knowing what the dragon meant, both for the company of dwarves who had undoubtedly disturbed it, and for themselves.

"Kili, go down to the feasting hall and tell Legolas," Tauriel told him, pulling herself together in moments and turning to open a hidden cupboard behind her that Kili hadn't noticed on the way up. From it she removed her bow and a quiver of arrows. Kili just frowned at her, so she said, by way of explanation, "I was doing guard duty earlier, but since I'm not officially in the guard I'm not strictly meant to carry a weapon round the palace, so I left it here in case anything happened,"

Kili gave her a look that clearly said, _that's not what I'm frowning about_. She sighed.

"I need to see where the beast is heading so that we have advanced warning if it is going to attack here," she admitted, "it's the only way to keep everyone safe,"

"Everyone's in the feasting hall, and Legolas said it can double up as a shelter if it's attacked," Kili pointed out, "everyone is already safe,"

"Not everyone is in the hall, and there is also a chance that a dragon could break through the ceiling with his weight," she countered.

"But he might _not_ come here," argued Kili.

"In which case I'll be safe," Tauriel assured him.

"But what if he sees you?" Kili clung desperately at straws.

"He won't," said Tauriel firmly.

Kili let out a noise of frustration as Tauriel made no move to back down, "you can't go back out there when there's a _dragon_!"

"I must keep the people safe. I must keep _you_ safe," she said seriously, placing her hands on Kili's shoulders, then pulling him into a brief and unexpected hug, "now go, there may not be much time. Do not let anyone follow me, we cannot risk more lives,"

"No! I'm not going to let you go back out there," Kili firmly placed himself between Tauriel and the rope ladder.

"Someone must," replied Tauriel simply, steering round Kili and beginning to climb back out into the open. One look back at him and she knew what he was thinking. "Don't follow me," she warned, and the way a light seemed to die in his eyes told her that he had understood, and would obey.

Satisfied that she was endangering no one but herself, Tauriel sprang up the remainder of the rope ladder and out into the night. Closing the trap door behind her, she caught a last glimpse of Kili's dark hair disappearing down the stairs before she plunged him into darkness and turned towards the river. It would be the easiest way to keep track of the dragon without getting lost in the trees. Unsaid in her mind was the fact that water would protect her from fire, should that situation arise. She hoped it would not.

The river glowed red in firelight as Tauriel approached its banks. She had seen no dragon in the sky over the treetops so far, which she hoped meant that it was heading away from her home. She could not, however, see where the red glow came from even as she stepped out into the open beside the river, bow held tightly in her left hand. She would have to travel downstream. Wasting no time, she set off at a run, leaping over tree roots and ducking when a branch dropped too low overhead, her feet instinctively carrying her over the rough, familiar terrain. There was a small meander in the river coming up, from which she would be able to see Esgaroth. She just hoped the town on the lake would be alright.

Even as she thought it, she realised it was futile to hope. When she and Kili had sighted the dragon, it had been in the direction of the Long Lake and spewing out fire. No matter how much water Lake Town was surrounded by, the wood it was made of would catch like dry leaves, and she doubted there would be anything left of the town by the time Smaug was finished with it. Had the people been warned? Had they got out in time? Tauriel wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Rounding the bend in the river, Tauriel came to a slow stop, her worst fears confirmed. What had once been a thriving town was now a blazing beacon, reflected in every direction by the crystal waters surrounding it. If she hadn't known what was burning, Tauriel might have even thought it was beautiful.

She peered into the distance, past the burning town to the water beyond, and saw small dark specs silhouetted against the crimson water. Some people had got out. That in itself was enough to make Tauriel feel grateful, but even as she praised the Valar for this small mercy she saw the dragon turn in the air, immensely graceful despite its humongous bulk, diving in for the kill. A second later, to her astonishment, it reared up as if in pain and let out a roar that echoed through the forest and made her convulsively tremble, a jet of fire streaming from its nostrils high into the sky with a fountain of smoke that spread over the lake like a cloud. Then, as if in slow motion, the once mighty Smaug fell out of the sky, crashing down onto Esgroth and sending a wave spanning outwards that was visible even in the near-darkness, even from where Tauriel stood so far away. So slowly it was almost painful to watch, the dragon sunk down into the murky depths of the Long Lake, taking the town with it, until the lake stilled as if nothing had ever been built there. No remnant of the once lively town remained, save the few boats that still dotted the darkened water.

Esgaroth was gone.


	24. Chapter 24

_You'll be pleased to know I got plenty of writing done over the weekend :) so hopefully no more waits longer than the usual 3 days. I am posting this about 2 hours earlier than I normally post for **Shreeg**, so I'm not mangling with your sleep patterns! And to show that I really appreciate all your comments :)_

_As for how far this fic is going to go, the end point in my mind has always been just after the Battle of Five Armies, but as for what is going to happen before then, who knows? How is it going to end? For those of you who are really worried now, I hope it is reassuring to know that my nice side is gaining ground in the ongoing mind-battle so I think it will probably get the final word, but on the other hand it was my evil side that started writing this fic in the first place so it will almost certainly get a word in edgeways before the end._

_Lovely reviewers last chapter were: **InezSophia**, **Shreeg**, **The** **Hobbit** **Demigod**, **jaymzNshed**, **FanOfRandomThings**, **GregsMadHatter**, **Syblime**, **wiccawoman**, **fixusi**, **LouphiaTheHobbit**, **leggomygreggo2** and **tygrislily**. I seriously love you guys for taking the time to share your thoughts. Enjoy the chapter!_

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><p>In the few moments after the last ripples vanished completely, Tauriel realised that she was not alone. Turning, she saw someone she had not expected to see: Rúthen. He was looking out towards the lake with an expression of mourning that mirrored Tauriel's, but when he looked towards her, she saw that he looked worried as well.<p>

"Why did you go alone?" he asked first.

"I didn't want to risk any other lives," she replied, "it was the only thing I could do under the circumstances,"

Rúthen sighed, "well, I guess I can't discipline you since you're not under my command, but you know you should always take another person with you in case something unexpected happens,"

"I am aware," Tauriel replied with a slight smirk, "and I do believe you're beginning to sound like me,"

"Yeah, now I feel a little guilty about all those times I called you patronising behind your back," Rúthen gave a sly grin.

"I hope I didn't just hear that," Tauriel raised her eyebrows, still managing to glean authority despite there being none officially.

Rúthen shrank back sheepishly, "I hope so too,"

With a light laugh, Tauriel turned away from him to once more stare out at the still, murky waters. "Did anyone else come?"

"No, I was the only one who could sneak out," replied Rúthen, comfortable again, "I could see Legolas wanted to but he couldn't get away from the King, and Kili was right about to turn around and go back out but Fili got him first. The rest of the guard were too busy calming everyone down,"

"Is Kili alright?" Tauriel couldn't help asking.

Rúthen cast her a sideways glance, replying, "I didn't see him after he came into the room and announced the dragon, Fili dragged him off straight away. He seemed fine,"

As Tauriel breathed a sigh of relief, the head of Mirkwood Guard gave her a curious look, as if trying to discern something, but a moment later he looked back towards the lake, shaking his head slightly with a small, knowing smile. Silence fell between them for a while, and Tauriel became irritated by the constant fluttering of the skirt of her gown in the small breeze. Shivering slightly due to its lack of warmth, she was reminded once again why she had never liked dresses. In an attempt to keep out the chill, she wrapped her arms around herself and stared out across the lake, ignoring her own rules about never letting her guard down, just as Rúthen spoke again.

"They'll blame this on the dwarves,"

Tauriel nodded, knowing her friend was right. It would be an unjust and shallow accusation, but it was coming nevertheless and nothing would stop it.

"We'll have to keep an eye on Fili and Kili or else they might be on the wrong end of lots of people's anger," Rúthen muttered, "and watch Amras closely as well. Who knows what he might start spreading around,"

"Too late to stop that - I heard someone saying that the dwarves plan to steal gold from the King if their companions don't make it to Erebor. I have no doubt where that rumour originated," Tauriel replied coolly, though she was seething underneath.

"Then we'll have to keep a closer eye on him in future," answered Rúthen grimly.

A few more moments passed, then Tauriel suggested, "we could go back now. Who knows what's happening at the feast,"

Rúthen nodded in agreement, then without a word the two turned away from the eerily still lake and began to run lightly back along the river. Not a creature stirred as they turned away from the water and into the thick trees, instinctively following their previous footsteps, and before they knew it they were back at the clearing above the trap door. Tauriel descended first, stopping briefly to hide her bow back in the small cupboard, then following the rest of the staircase down into the earth to where the door opened out into the feasting hall. Not knowing what to expect, she paused a moment with her hand on the door, but an almost indistinguishable nod from Rúthen prodded her to pull herself together and open it.

The great hall, so noisy and full of life when she had last seen it, was almost silent. Elves hung around in small groups, whispering among themselves in a great hurry, congregating near the walls and tables but not in between. Half the feast lay untouched. Scanning the room quickly, Tauriel spotted Fili and Kili sitting side by side at one table close to where Legolas stood in discussion with his father. Thranduil was looking haughty, and the Prince was frowning and looking agitated. When he spotted Tauriel and Rúthen, however, he relaxed and sprung forward to meet them.

"What of the dragon? Is it coming?" he asked, a frantic gleam in his eye. Tauriel could understand his fear - she had felt it herself.

"The dragon is dead," said Rúthen solemnly, "and Esgaroth is no more,"

Legolas's eyes widened in horror, and Tauriel could see him imagining the devastation of the town on the lake. If only it was possible to imagine the true glorious ruin of the innocent town.

"How - what slew the dragon? Who do we have to thank?" Legolas replied eventually, tripping over his words in shock.

"I...do not know," Rúthen looked to Tauriel, "I was not there for long enough,"

Legolas's gaze shifted across, and Tauriel frowned as she thought back to the moment of the dragon's demise. It was not possible that he had been pierced by an axe or a sword, since he had been in the air - the only reasonable explanation was an arrow. Tauriel knew the story of Girion and the black arrow, but she also knew that men's lifespans were not long enough for any alive today to remember when Erebor fell. She herself remembered it clearly - it had been the first time she had resented the fact that she was under the Elvenking's order, and it certainly hadn't been the last. But she had been young then, and unable to do anything about it.

"Well?" Thranduil suddenly appeared at Legolas's side, demanding an answer.

"I think he was shot by someone in the town," replied Tauriel, "but whoever did it was surely killed when the dragon fell into the lake,"

"Then they have our deepest respect, wherever they may be now," Thranduil bowed his head, and everyone around did the same.

The moment did not last long though, because Fili had got up from the table and was making his way over to them with a serious expression.

"The dragon?" he asked as he drew level with the group.

"Dead," Tauriel confirmed with a small smile.

Fili's eyes grew wide in surprise, then he frowned suspiciously. "You're sure?"

"Definitely," replied Tauriel, and Fili's face split into a grin as he turned back to his brother.

"Here that Kili? Erebor's ours! Everything is going to be okay now," he almost skipped over to where Kili had risen from his chair and they embraced fiercely as Fili continued, "and we're going to live there for the rest of our lives and never set eyes on an orc again and we'll have feasts galore and Mum - Mum will be there! She'll be coming as soon as she hears and you'll have kept your promise Kili! We'll both have kept our promises,"

He fell silent, and they both knew what had been left unsaid - there was no way of telling if the rest of the company had survived the dragon's wrath. In fact, there was a distinct possibility that they were all dead. But the dragon was gone, and that in itself made it seem as if everything was going to be alright in the end, that everyone had survived and they would all see each other very soon. It was impossible not to be a little bit happy.

To his surprise, Fili felt Kili hide a tiny sob in his shoulder. He patted his brother's back, turning his head so that he could look at Kili's face. A faint tear-track streaked from each eye.

"Is everything alright, brother?" he asked softly.

Kili nodded, gulping hard in order to speak. "I just...I just never thought we would get this far. After the goblins, I guess I realised how hard it would actually be, and when I was alone in the forest I was so sure I was going to die,"

"But you didn't," Fili comforted him, his hand moving up and down his brother's back soothingly, "we're both here now, and we're going home. Kili, we're going home,"

"Yeah. We're going home," whispered Kili, wiping the last of his tears away on Fili's shoulder and straightening up. "When?"

"Whenever you want to," said Fili with a smile, "and whenever we can get ponies,"

"Er...about that," Kili suddenly remembered his conversation with Tauriel which had been so quickly overshadowed by the arrival of the dragon, "there are no ponies here, but Tauriel wants to come with us which means we could ride a horse," he grinned.

"Two dwarves and an elf on one horse?" Fili raised his eyebrows, "or would I be trailing behind on foot? And I'm not sure what Uncle would think about..."

"Change of plan," Tauriel's voice came from behind Kili, and both turned to see her standing with Legolas, who was grinning.

"We're all coming to Erebor," said the Prince, "the day after tomorrow. Father would have made it tomorrow, but I don't think an army with a hangover would do much good - after all, the drinking part of the feast starts soon,"

"An army?" Fili frowned, not liking this at all and wondering why Legolas was smiling so much. Maybe it was the thought of imminent wine.

The Elven Prince shrugged, "well, just the guard and whoever else wants to come, really. Father just wants to collect the Elven treasure then leave, we won't be declaring war or anything,"

"It won't be that simple," Kili informed Legolas with a raised eyebrow, "if you think you can just waltz into Erebor and ask Thorin for your gold, I'm afraid you don't know Uncle. He won't let it go without putting up a fight, or at least a very long argument,"

Legolas's smile dropped abruptly. "I had feared that would be the case. I'm afraid my father is intent on getting it though,"

"I guess we'll just have to work something out then," said Fili, "if Kili and I go and speak to him before he sees your 'army' then he might be more cooperative. And it would be wiser to bring fewer elves,"

"I'll see what can be done," nodded Legolas, "and maybe I can persuade him to allow you two to go ahead. The last thing any of us wants is war,"

"There will not be war," Fili said firmly, "you will get your gold, you can assure your father that, so there will be no cause for conflict between our kingdoms. It just might take a while for Uncle to come around,"

"Thank you," Legolas smiled, "I'm grateful for your help, even if my father doesn't seem to be,"

"We owe it to you," replied Fili, smiling back, "it's the least we can do,"

With a nod, Legolas turned and strode back towards his father. Fili turned to see Kili beside him, staring after Tauriel, who was moving away from them towards where Nienna stood reassuring a frightened group of elf maidens. He wondered if Thranduil was ever going to announce that the dragon was dead and that they could get back to the feasting. He worried that the food was getting cold.

"Fili?"

"Yes?" Fili turned to his brother.

"I have a bad feeling about this," admitted Kili.

"Yeah, me too," he agreed.

"Tauriel was going to stay a while in Erebor,"

"What?"

"I said she could stay for a while. I'm sure Uncle wouldn't have minded one elf,"

"I'm not so sure..."

"Fili, why did you promise Legolas the gold? Uncle is never going to give it,"

"And Thranduil is never going to leave him alone until he gets it -"

"Fair point,"

"- and don't tell me you haven't promised Tauriel anything,"

"..."

Fili smirked, "I thought so,"

"You know, it might not turn out like that at all," Kili said darkly, and Fili knew instinctively what he was referring to. If Thorin and the rest of the company had been killed by the dragon, what would they do then? Dain would probably come down from the Iron Hills, and Thranduil would probably demand a ridiculous amount of gold, and in the middle of it all would be the two of them, Fili as rightful King Under the Mountain. Fili decided it was better not to even consider that possibility. Even better, would be to forget about it completely just for this one night and enjoy the feast.

At that moment, Thranduil's haughty voice rang out over the hall in Sindarin, making a loud announcement that they all stopped and listened to. As he finished, the great hall went up in cheers, the tension that had been thickening the air since Kili's announcement of the dragon dissipating instantly, to be replaced with even more cheer than before. As they all sat back down on the benches, Kili slipped in next to Fili and Tauriel found a place just a bit further down with some of the members of the guard. As she passed, she whispered in both their ears, "whatever you do, don't drink the wine,"

Kili frowned at Fili as Tauriel went on to her seat. "Why do we have to avoid the wine? It's not poisoned is it?"

Fili laughed, "no, it's not poisoned as far as I'm aware. But I've heard that it's very strong, and that elves have rather large drinking capabilities as it is. My guess is that if we drink the wine we'll most likely have a hangover for a week,"

Kili snorted, "I'd like to see them try and out-drink Bombur. Or Gloin for that matter, did you see how much he drunk at Gimli's last birthday party? You'd think he would set a bit of a better example, I mean, Gimli's younger than us and mother never -"

"You forget that Gimli can already drink more than you and me combined," Fili reminded him with a chuckle, "I think there's a gene in there somewhere,"

"Yeah, but still..." Kili muttered, then perked up as an elf absent-mindedly set the fruit pavlova in an empty space within arms reach.

"Get me some too?" Fili nudged him, and Kili promptly served them both large helpings of it. Their conversation died away as both suddenly became much more interested in the food in front of them than whatever they had just been talking about.

Kili ate twice as much as everyone else for dessert, partly due to the fact that he had missed first course, and partly due to the fact that he was Kili, and therefore his stomach was a bottomless hole. He also managed to make cheerful conversation with the Elvenking much better than Fili had, and for that Fili was grateful, because to tell the truth, the attention and the pressure had been starting to get to him. He was tempted when Legolas offered him wine, but he remembered Tauriel's warning just in time and saw a mischievous twinkle in the elf's eye, so wisely refused as politely as he could. Legolas just shrugged and poured himself a large glassful.

The night drew on, and the noise became louder and louder as the elves one by one lost their senses to the drink, but just when Kili had declared that he could not eat another mouthful, it began to get quieter again as the great doors opened and the elves began to file out in groups of threes and fours, leaning on each other to stay upright. Though he would never say it, Fili was quite pleased that the festivities were now drawing to an end, because though the night had been fun, he was really quite tired now and had seen Kili yawn several times.

They were apparently among the very few not drunk. Thranduil was only a little tipsy, but Legolas had thrown himself into the drinking with gusto and was now snoring on the table in a very un-elf like manner. Tauriel was not drunk, and neither was Rúthen and surprisingly Amras, so the three of them had stepped in for the guard duties of Lenwë, Elu and another elf whom Fili did not know the name of, since the three who were meant to be on duty were too drunk to comprehend anything that was going on, let alone be allowed to hold a weapon.

This meant that as the drunken elves filed out, the last ones left in the room were Tauriel, Rúthen, Amras (who quickly left), Thranduil and a slumbering Legolas. Fili and Kili stood awkwardly in a corner, wondering whether they should be doing anything to clear up. After all, the hall was a mess. Then again, it wasn't a hobbit hole. No one else seemed to be doing anything - the cooks and all the elves who had been assisting with the laying out earlier had got just as drunk as all the rest of them - so in the end they decided to leave it be.

Thranduil stood for a moment with his eyes on his son, exasperation creeping into his expression, then he turned to Rúthen and gave a nod before gliding airily out of the room. Rúthen looked over to Tauriel, who shrugged and nodded back, then silently the two of them moved over to where Legolas sat with his head and arms sprawled over the table and began to lift him. Fili stepped forward, offering to help, but Tauriel shook her head.

"It's alright, we can manage. Come on, I'll show you back to the entrance hall, you know the way from there,"

With a nod, Fili and Kili began to follow Tauriel and Rúthen back through the twisting corridors and up and down stairs, Kili resurrecting the use of his crutches, until finally they came out into the entrance hall. They bade each other goodnight, then Fili and Kili left down the corridor to the healing rooms while Tauriel and Rúthen carried Legolas up more staircases to the royal quarters.

As soon as Fili's head touched the pillow, he was asleep. Kili watched his brother enviously from his own bed, knowing that he himself would not be able to sleep for a long while yet. The image of the dragon was too fresh in his mind. Its horrible scaly wings and wicked tail blocked out all comfort from his mind just as they had blocked out the stars in the sky, and he could not rid himself of the fear that all twelve of his and Fili's companions were dead, bodies burned and shrivelled by the all-consuming flames. Perhaps Fili could rejoice in the fact that the dragon was dead and Erebor free of its wrath, and perhaps Fili could forget how much they didn't know and pretend that they would see Uncle Thorin again really soon, but Fili had not seen the dragon. Kili had. And Kili remembered that if the dragon had been disturbed then its first target had almost certainly been the company, which meant that the chances that all eleven dwarves and one hobbit lived were very slim.

Kili turned his head so that he was staring up at the ceiling, just like he and Tauriel had stared up at the sky - how long ago had it been? It seemed like forever. If the company was dead then it wouldn't matter that Thranduil was bringing an army to Erebor because there would be nobody for it to fight against. The one who they would be requesting the gold from would be Fili.

Fili, King. King of what? An empty mountain with all the gold in the world and yet no people? No dwarves to fill it and make it rich like it used to be, before they had even been born? It wouldn't be much of a kingdom if Kili was the only subject. It would be months before the first dwarves from Ered Luin arrived. How were they meant to cope until then?

Suddenly angry, Kili rolled over so that his face was buried in the pillow, welcoming the aching feeling in his tired ribs and using it to control the urge to lash out at something. Why was he feeling so pessimistic? He was meant to be the cheerful one, Fili was the one with all the serious thoughts. But he had seen the dragon, and he couldn't banish it from his mind. Feeling drowsy at last, Kili closed his eyes and tried to embrace oblivion, but instead he was plunged headfirst into a nightmare. Fili's snores became the roars of a very not-dead Smaug, and the bedcovers became Kili's prison, holding him in tight bonds and keeping him from running as the fire drew ever closer. Kili couldn't count the times he burned to death that night.

When the first light streamed across Kili's face as he lay writhing in his covers, he felt himself turn to stone like a mountain troll and stood immobilised as the dragon edged towards him. Fear flooded him like a tidal wave, and he tried to scream, tried to call for help, but there was no one else in sight on the grey barren mountainside besides the dragon that was advancing on him, an evil grin curling its mouth so that teeth as long as swords and just as sharp showed through. Once again, Kili tried to yell, but he was turned to stone and he couldn't open his mouth. He couldn't breathe. He was completely trapped, suffocating, unable to escape as searing heat engulfed him, the dragon fire curling and snaking around him in tendrils of agony. He was going to die.

He could feel himself crumbling. The stone he was made of was flaking away in the heat; he could feel a great pressure on his shoulders and he was shattering, falling to the ground in pieces. The earth beneath him was as hot as the dragon fire, and...soft. He couldn't remember when the dragon's roars had stopped. He was lying down, drenched in sweat, eyes screwed tightly shut against the world. But there was a comforting, familiar voice beside him, and someone had been shaking him but was now stroking his hair back and telling him to rest. Was he dead? No, that was Fili's voice.

He opened his eyes a fraction. A blond head swam into view, looking down on him with concern and worry, but when their eyes met Fili smiled.

"It's ok, Kili. The nightmare's over," he said softly.

Kili smiled back sadly. "No it's not,"

"What do you mean?" Fili frowned, "you're awake, and you're not screaming anymore,"

"I was screaming?"

"You were yelling loud enough to wake the dead," Fili confirmed, "what were you dreaming about anyway? Why isn't it over?"

"It's not over until we know the others are safe," explained Kili, slowly sitting up and blinking the sleep out of his eyes, "I can't stop imagining what might have happened to them,"

"Kili...I know it sounds stupid...but..." Fili paused, "I have this gut feeling, you know, that they're alright. At least, that they're not dead,"

Kili regarded his brother with scepticism. "You don't know that for sure,"

"I know I don't," replied Fili with a shrug, "but it's all I have to go on so I might as well trust it. What other choice is there?"

Staring into his brothers eyes, so different from his own, Kili saw all the emotions he felt reflected there in perfect clarity. But Fili had accepted that there was only one possibility that was worth considering, and had accepted it with certainty. It was time that Kili did the same, or became consumed by grief and fear of the unknown.

"You're right," Kili forced a smile, "there's no point mourning for what we don't know is gone,"

"And we'll know soon anyway. In a few days we'll be enduring Uncle's wrath, believe me," Fili grinned. Thorin's temper was not something to joke about, but somehow that made it all the more funny.

"He'll probably disown us for fraternising with the enemy," Kili quoted Tauriel with a smirk.

"Disown you, more likely. I'm not the one who has feelings for an elf," teased Fili, earning a playful scowl and a cuff on the shoulder from his brother.

"It's not -" began the accused dwarf, but he was cut off.

"Don't worry, brother, I won't tell him," Fili said with a wink, "but don't bother denying it, because to me you're as transparent as water."


	25. Chapter 25

_Hello all! My Italian assessment is over and done with, yay! Now to catch up on all the other homework that I put off because of it :/_

_I don't have much to say this chapter (you can cheer now) so shout outs for reviews go to: **GregsMadHatter**, **InezSophia**, **fixusi**, **leggomygreggo2**, **Shreeg**, **Syblime**, **jaymzNshed**, **tygrislily**, **FanOfRandomThings** and **T.A.R.D.I. . **. Special thanks to **fixusi** for such a long review, you really summed up a lot of my thoughts in that! I am pleased to say that my nice side and my evil side have finally struck up a compromise. What that entails, you will have to wait and see ;)_

_Enjoy the chapter!_

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><p>They did not leave the next day, nor the day after, despite the Elvenking's impatience to be off as soon as possible. Apparently it took more than one day for a kingdom of hungover elves to prepare for a war-ready departure. Legolas had woken at midday on the day after the feast with a pounding headache, but he had nevertheless relayed to his father his concerns about taking a whole army up to Erebor. Needless to say, Thranduil hadn't listened to a word, commanding the Prince back to his chambers to sleep off the lasting effects of the alcohol.<p>

Kili grew more and more restless with every passing hour that they were not preparing to leave for the Mountain. Since he had very few possessions of his own to pack, he insisted on dragging Fili with him down to where the horses were kept and assisting the elves there with preparing the many horses that would be carrying supplies and Elven warriors to the foot of the mountain. This went on for three days, during which neither Fili nor Kili spoke much but preferred to communicate with silent glances. Their minds dwelt on the same worries, and despite their decision to ignore the possibility of the worst case scenario, it felt as though to voice their thoughts out loud would be to make them all the more real.

On the morning of the fourth day after the feast of starlight, at the crack of dawn, a host of elves and horses, not to mention two dwarves, assembled along the riverbank. As well as weapon-clad warriors, there were many healers, cooks and craftsmen walking alongside horses laden with food and timber and other essential supplies, for the previous evening a messenger had arrived from Lake Town with a plea for help, and the Elvenking had agreed immediately, for the men of Esgaroth had long been their friends.

Fili and Kili rode behind Golradir and Gildor respectively, since the Elven brothers had been the first to offer their services. Legolas was required out of duty to ride at the front with his father, and Tauriel was not on horseback since the horses were in high demand for carrying provisions to Esgaroth and so could be spared for none but the guard. She didn't mind this, but walked alongside the many carts and wagons that were bringing supplies to the people of the devastated town.

The advanced party - that is, all who set out at dawn, since many had stayed behind to load up yet more carts with provisions for the people of Lake Town - reached the far shores of the lake by mid-afternoon and were met with a pitiful sight. Upturned boats and large sheets of canvas propped up with sticks made for makeshift tents, and in every nook and cranny huddled parents comforting crying children, family members mourning lost relatives, and far too many orphans, who clung to each other for support and wept into each other's shoulders. In the middle of the temporary town stood a large closed off pavilion, the only actual tent in the whole campsite, which had a long queue stretching out from the doorway. This was where the elves made for, hoping to meet someone who was in charge. Those who had been riding quickly dismounted from their horses, and Fili and Kili suddenly found themselves lost in a sea of gangly limbs.

Suddenly, Fili felt an arm on his shoulder, pulling him roughly out from the large group of elves, and he quickly grasped Kili's hand so that they wouldn't be separated. Once they were in the open and could see around, they saw that they were close to the large tent and that they had been pulled away by a tall but young son of men. He narrowed his eyes beneath his mop of dark hair.

"Who are you? You didn't come through with the other dwarves," he said accusingly.

"You met the others?" Kili exclaimed, but Fili hushed him with a look.

"We were held up in Mirkwood, but now we travel to rejoin our kin," Fili answered the human teenager's question neutrally.

"Who are you?" Kili asked bluntly, ignoring the glare Fili shot him.

"I am Bain, son of Bard," replied Bain, with a hint of pride in his voice, "my father killed the dragon,"

Glancing behind him, Fili saw the tall figure of Thranduil speaking to an almost equally tall man with uncanny resemblance to the boy in front of him.

"Is that your father there?" he asked, though it was pretty obvious.

Bain nodded, "he has been appointed temporary leader of the people, since the Master fled,"

"So what do you want with us?" Kili frowned, aware that there were people from Laketown peering at them curiously as they passed, and some even looked fearful.

"You are dwarves travelling with a host of armed elves. That's suspicious to anyone," Bain deadpanned.

Fili and Kili shared a glance, then Fili spoke up. "It was necessary under our circumstances,"

Bain didn't look convinced. "I've met dwarves. You lot don't trust anyone but your own kin, and yet you're here trusting elves of all people?"

"Not all of them," corrected Fili, "but a few have earned our trust, and the others won't harm us,"

"And the Elvenking? Everyone knows he doesn't trust dwarves," said Bain.

"He has been our host for three weeks, and I sincerely hope we have gained his trust," Fili looked at Kili, who nodded in agreement.

"It took a bit of convincing for him to approve our stay," the younger brother added.

Finally, Bain looked somewhat more satisfied, and regarded the pair of dwarves for a moment before nodding to himself as if coming to a conclusion he had suspected all along.

"Da said you'd all be camping nearby then setting off in the morning,"

Fili nodded in confirmation, as he had heard a similar version of the plan from Rúthen.

"In that case I might as well show you around," Bain grinned, and he began to lead the dwarves through the camp with a springy, youthful step. After checking that their presence would not be missed - Thranduil was still deep in conversation with Bard and the other elves were listening intently or talking among themselves but not going anywhere - Fili and Kili followed him.

"What are your names?" Bain asked as they passed the other side of the large tent, which he informed them was being used as a healing bay.

"Fili and Kili, at your service," said Fili quickly, "sorry, we should have introduced ourselves before,"

"No matter," Bain shrugged, "are you brothers, then?"

"Aye," Fili and Kili said simultaneously.

"And you're Thorin Oakenshield's nephews?"

"How do you know that?" Kili exclaimed with a frown.

"They stayed in my house when they came through Lake Town," Bain replied, "and when they left they needed to leave someone behind but they couldn't decide who - they had a massive argument before I stepped in and volunteered to pass on the message. Since I'd overheard the whole conversation anyway, they agreed. I just wanted to check that you were the right dwarves first,"

"What was the message?" asked Kili eagerly.

"It doesn't really apply any more, since you're travelling with elves," Bain shrugged, "it was to go and get ponies and supplies from the Master and go to the Mountain as soon as possible,"

"I thought you said the Master fled?" Fili observed.

"He did," replied Bain, "he was selfish and greedy and only cared for saving his own skin. But he did help your kin after Thorin marched right into the town square and declared himself King Under the Mountain,"

Kili rolled his eyes, "of course Uncle did that," but he also shared a worried glance with Fili. Their uncle wouldn't have revealed himself to the men unless it was desperate - or he was desperate.

The tour lasted for about half an hour, in which time Bain introduced Fili and Kili to his two sisters, Sigrid and Tilda, and also earned some more than suspicious looks from random passers-by which prompted him to warn the dwarves about the people's view - and his father's - on the cause of the dragon's destruction. He said that it would be better if they didn't draw attention to themselves, since most of the town blamed Thorin Oakenshield for awakening the dragon and were not feeling very amicable towards dwarven folk right now.

The light began to fade early, since it was all but winter now, and Fili and Kili were obliged to rejoin the elves in order to make camp for the night, but they bade goodbye to Bain and his sisters, and Bain promised to speak well of them to his father so that Bard might be less wary towards dwarves in future. The carts and wagons of supplies began to slowly arrive from Mirkwood as they opened out tents and pavilions, and the whole process of setting up camp was brought to almost a standstill since nearly every elf was suddenly needed to fairly distribute tents and blankets and food among the survivors of Lake Town.

Fili and Kili had no idea what was going on around them as the darkness grew and elves began to turn in for the night, since the elves mostly spoke Sindarin among themselves so there was no chance of overhearing an instruction on where to sleep. There seemed to be no pattern as to which tents elves entered, and soon the two dwarves found themselves alone outside, wandering aimlessly among the tents and wondering what to do. They hadn't seen Tauriel or Legolas or any of the guards or cooks they recognised, so hadn't a clue where to go.

Just as Fili was wishing that someone - anyone - would show their face outside a tent so they could ask them what to do, his prayer was answered. Unfortunately, it was Amras. The elf tensed when he saw them, and both dwarves froze instantly. The air was suddenly thick and hostile.

"Uh...hello, Amras," began Fili, while Kili shifted uneasily beside him and Amras stared between them. He hadn't forgotten the archery competition, where Kili had come out on top, nor the sword fighting incident when Fili had beaten him fair and square.

"We were wondering..." Kili began, looking to Fili for confirmation that he was saying the right thing, "if you could tell us where we're meant to be right now. No one has told us where we can sleep,"

Amras narrowed his eyes, and didn't seem about to answer, but then he jerked a finger towards the large tent next to the one he was in front of, saying, "Rúthen's in there. Ask him,"

He did not wait for Fili and Kili's awkward thanks but disappeared straight back into the tent he had come from, leaving the dwarves alone once again. The air itself seemed to sigh with relief.

Rúthen was indeed in the tent next door, along with about half the guard, laying out bedrolls and preparing for sleep. He was surprised to see Fili and Kili, as he had assumed their accommodation had been arranged, but as that wasn't the case, he offered for them to spend the night in the tent with the guard.

"Two more bodies won't make any difference," he smiled, "if you don't mind being a bit cramped,"

Kili was about to agree wholeheartedly, but Fili put out a hand to stop him.

"We snore," he informed the head of guard, "loudly,"

"And we here have all slept with much worse noise in the background," Rúthen raised his eyebrows good-naturedly, "so if we can sleep with the howls of wargs we can sleep with your snores,"

And so it was that Fili and Kili slept with the guard that night, crammed into a corner together and muffling their snores in their bedrolls so as to disturb the guard as little as possible. They had a surprisingly good night's sleep after spending so long on comfy Elven mattresses, and in the morning they were bright and breezy and ready for another day of travelling. As they assisted with the re-packing of all the provisions and tents and weapons that would be taken North to the mountain, they also discovered that the weapons of all their companions (that had been taken off them when they first arrived at the Mirkwood Palace) were being transported surreptitiously to the mountain spread out across several trusted members of the guard.

"We shouldn't have taken them in the first place," admitted Rúthen when Fili asked, "and if you say Lord Elrond permitted it then I don't see why we shouldn't,"

Another piece of less welcome news reached them a short time later, and that was that a large number of warriors from Lake Town were to be joining the elves in the hope of claiming some of the mountain's wealth, under the command of Bain's father Bard. Unlike the elves, these men made no attempt to hide their disdain for Fili and Kili, and so the pair of dwarves heard no short supply of insults and accusations as they prepared to leave that morning. Remembering what Bain told them, they stayed away from men as much as they could for the rest of the journey.

Over the course of the next four days they rode by day and set up camp by night, and Kili observed that it seemed as if the mountain was growing out of the ground rather than they who were getting closer. It was faster progress than they had made from Mirkwood to the shores of the lake, since they were now all on horseback; Tauriel rode behind Nienna, and many others were sharing horses, but more horses could also be spared after they had left their previous burdens behind at the camp by the lake.

On the morning of the fifth day they were ready to approach the mountain. It had gone from being an anomaly on the horizon to occupying half the sky, and it sent shivers up the dwarves' spines. They were so close to home. They would have ridden at full speed to reach it as soon as possible had they been allowed, but the Elvenking and Bard had other ideas. Legolas guided his horse over to where most of the guard were grouped to relay this news to them.

"We will approach the mountain at dusk and set up camp among the ruins of Dale," he announced, "Bard will go and speak to Thorin in the morning to ask for a share of the treasure -"

"They're alive?" broke in Kili, barely able to contain his excitement. At this, Fili sat up straighter on the horse behind Golradir.

Legolas grinned, answering, "the scouts who went ahead report to have seen dwarves on the main gate, and your uncle is among them. The bad news is they seem to be barricading themselves in, as if they expect war,"

Fili scoffed, "and well they might, a host of armed elves and men is heading their way,"

"Careful what you're saying," Legolas raised an eyebrow, "don't think I haven't seen all the dwarvish weapons this lot are carrying," he gestured to the guards around, many of whom smirked and shifted their loads on their backs. Rúthen, who was carrying Dwalin's axe slung next to his own quiver of arrows, chuckled slightly and nodded in agreement.

"It is certainly not a foolish move to fortify the entrance," remarked Tauriel, "there are most likely orcs still about in these lands, and more may come down from the Grey Mountains when they hear of the Dragon's death,"

"You're right," agreed Kili immediately, "if they're defending a kingdom with eleven dwarves and a hobbit then they've got to be prepared,"

"A hobbit?" questioned Rúthen curiously, and Kili looked sheepish, having forgotten that most of the elves had no idea about Bilbo's existence.

"Long story," said Fili quickly, "maybe some other day,"

"Maybe," said Legolas quietly, "but there may not be many more days,"

He didn't have to elaborate for everyone to know what he meant; the time would soon come when Fili and Kili would leave them for good. The only question was when. There was a short silence.

"Who is going with Bard?" asked Fili suddenly, bringing them abruptly back to the previous, unfinished topic.

"Just a few of his men to act as bodyguards. No elves," replied Legolas, "I don't like it, but Bard was being persistent and also pointed out that he is on better terms with the King Under the Mountain than my father is, which I couldn't argue with,"

"What of Fili and Kili?" asked Gildor before either dwarf could ask the same question.

"That is entirely up to them," replied Legolas, turning to the dwarves in question, "my father has declared that you may leave whenever you choose to, and he holds no restrictions. If I'm honest, I think he wanted to disassociate himself from you because of what all the Lake Men are saying,"

"What are the lake men saying? That we brought on the dragon?" Fili demanded.

"That, and other things besides. Anything from 'you've stolen their gold' to 'travelling with dwarves brings bad luck'," said Legolas with a note of sympathy in his voice, "I don't want to see you go, but if you want my advice I'd say it would probably be better for you to leave sooner rather than later,"

"We're going to help you get your gold first," put in Kili firmly, "let us go with Bard and we'll persuade Uncle Thorin,"

"I do not need to 'let you', you are free to go where you want," Legolas reminded him, "go with Bard if you think that is best. If you do, I might come along myself if father lets me, just to make sure he doesn't turn on you or anything. I don't trust Bard, even if he did kill a dragon,"

Fili smiled, "we would be grateful for that. Not that I don't trust Bard - as far as I know he is honourable and good - but I think it might help if my uncle sees that you're not as hostile and unfriendly as you seem. After all, the last time he saw you was when you were locking us all up,"

"Then I will do my best to persuade father," Legolas promised.

They rested by the River Running until mid afternoon that day, when Thranduil's clear order came across the water to remount and set off again. When the ruins of Dale were finally upon them it was almost dark, and there was just enough time to set up camp before the stars came out and the night closed in. Fili and Kili both slept restlessly. They had rejoiced at the news of the company's survival, but once the relief had worn off they were left with an uneasy feeling in their stomachs, and many of their dreams were edged with an ominous dark shadow. The dragon was dead, but both had a strong feeling that the worst wasn't over yet by a long way.


	26. Chapter 26

_Sorry peeps, only a short chapter today. It was either a short one today or a possibly longer one tomorrow, but since I promised no more long waits I thought I'd better just post this and see what happens. On the bright side (or dark side?) more things are starting to happen! It all gets more exciting from here :D_

_After so many reviews for chapter 24, I have to admit I was a little disappointed about how few there were for last chapter. Oh well, everyone who did review gets imaginary smarties :) and those people are: **jaymzNshed**, **InezSophia**, **tygrislily**, **GregsMadHatter** and **.3954**._

_Enjoy the (short but eventful) chapter!_

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><p>The following morning they departed bright and early with Bard and a few of his men, plus Legolas, Golradir, Gildor and Tauriel. It appeared that Thranduil wasn't happy with his son going as the only elf and so had appointed the Elven brothers to accompany him, and Tauriel had not been given permission but pointed out that she wasn't under Thranduil's command any more because she wasn't in the guard. This was not strictly true, since he was still her King, but she chose to ignore that.<p>

Once again, Fili and Kili rode behind Gildor and Golradir, though they planned to dismount when they reached the foot of the mountain beneath the Main Gate so as not to irritate Thorin with this antic. On the way, Kili tried to make conversation with Bard in order to find out how deep the distrust of dwarves ran within the lake men, but despite his best efforts it was hard to get even a word out of the grim faced archer. The most he found out was that Bain had spoken to his father and Bard did not blame Fili and Kili personally for the destruction the dragon brought, but he still laid weighty blame on Thorin Oakenshield.

As they neared the Main Gate, neither Fili nor Kili could hide their excitement. Even from a distance they admired the craftwork of the stone carved around the entrance - despite there being a large, fortified wall built right in front of it - and they could almost feel the gold inside calling to them. On top of this, they were about to see the company for the first time in three weeks, and not in mortal peril. They had managed to distract themselves with other things over that time, but now it hit both of them how much they missed each and every dwarf they had travelled with, not to mention the hobbit.

They dismounted as soon as they could clearly make out the figures on top of the wall and approached on foot. Twelve figures stood high above them, the foremost one unmistakably Thorin himself. There was great movement among the figures behind him as Fili and Kili drew nearer with the small group of elves and men, however Thorin stayed as still as if he were carved from the stone of the mountain.

"Hail, Thorin," called Bard loudly, and the King Under the Mountain stirred.

"And who are you, who accompany my nephews armed as if for war?" demanded Thorin back.

"They're friends," Fili answered loudly, stepping forward, "they do not wish for conflict any more than we do,"

"Then why have so many accompanied you when you are quite capable of returning alone?" replied Thorin, and Fili thought he saw something different in his uncle's face; something strange about his eyes.

"We wish to make a request," said Bard, "for a share of the gold, of which there is no lack in the mountain behind you,"

"And who are you to make such requests?" answered Thorin coldly.

"I am he who slew the dragon," called back Bard, "and I am the descendant of Girion, lord of Dale, from whom the dragon stole much gold. Part of that hoard rightfully belongs to Dale. I also speak for the people of Lake Town, whose homes have been destroyed by the dragon and now live with almost nothing on the shores of the Lake. They aided you in your distress, and now in return they ask that you do not cast a blind eye to their suffering,"

"The price of the aid we received will be paid in due time," replied Thorin, and Fili let out a breath of relief, "but not a single coin will pass this entrance while you stand before the gate armed for war. Go away, and return when the army and the elves - who have no claim to the gold at all - are gone. Then we will parley. Fili, Kili, why do you stay beside our foes? Come and step into your rightful heritage,"

As if on cue, Bofur and Nori appeared at the top of the wall with a rope ladder, and promptly let it down so that the bottom rung brushed the ground beneath.

"Come on laddies!" called Bofur, "we've all missed ya, don't make us wait any longer!"

A look passed between Fili and Kili, but they did not move. They were both thinking the same thing. To join the company now would be a betrayal of the elves, to whom they owed so much and had so grown to like. No matter how much they had missed the company, they just couldn't do it.

"Sorry, Uncle," called Fili, "but we cannot join you yet. Bard has laid down just claims, and we will see them through before we climb that ladder. As for the elves, they have done nothing but aid us beyond measure and you have no right to send them away before hearing what they have to say,"

"Fili, this is your home, this is where you belong," Thorin answered with a deep frown, "come, do not linger with elves and men. They tell nothing but lies. You are not safe down there,"

"We are perfectly safe down here, thank you," replied Fili, "we are well protected," he glanced sideways to see Legolas nod in assent, "and as for telling lies, we have met nothing that supports that statement in three weeks of their company. You are wrong if you think that is what all elves are like. And finally, I do not belong in a kingdom that does not repay honestly what is fairly due, nor offers any thanks for saving my brother,"

"Your mind has become addled," declared Thorin, "you have spent too long in the wrong company. Kili, tell me you can see the truth here,"

"Aye, I see the truth," Kili scowled, "I see that the only one with an addled brain here, uncle, is you,"

Thorin stared for a moment, and Fili didn't recognise his twisted expression. If he had know his uncle any less well, he would have mistaken it for Thorin's livid expression, but Fili had seen Thorin's livid expression and knew that this was something different altogether. This was wrong. Something wasn't right with his uncle. He turned his head, and saw that Kili had noticed it too. They shared a look of anxiety.

When Thorin spoke again, there was ice in his voice such as the young dwarves had never heard directed at them before, and it chilled them to the core. "Then do you also follow your brother in his treachery?"

Kili glared back at his uncle with as much force as he could muster, answering, "I stand by all that Fili said before, and I also remind you that I owe my life to the elves that you would send away without a second thought. They brought me back from the brink of darkness, and despite our differences they cared for me and Fili better than you would believe. It is due to them that we are here at all. They deserve more than you give them credit for,"

"If you suggest I should reward the elves for amending what they caused in the first place, you are mistaken," shouted Thorin, "we would not have been separated had they not interfered,"

"They came and saved all our necks from the spiders," Fili shouted back in anger, "yours included, Thorin!"

There was a shocked silence. The lake men muttered amongst themselves, not understanding the reason for it, but everyone else knew or could work out that Fili calling Thorin by his name rather than "uncle" had just heightened the tension tenfold. Thorin's eyes narrowed.

"So be it. Stay with your new elf friends, and may you not return. You are no nephews of mine," he growled, before turning and stalking away into the mountain.

The rest of the company now peered over the edge of the wall in sympathy. They looked just as shocked as Fili and Kili felt, but called down with words of comfort. Then, after muttering hastily with the others, Balin swung his feet over the ledge and climbed down the ladder as fast as his ageing limbs could carry him, landing with a plop and approaching the group on the ground.

"I'm sorry about that," Balin said darkly when he drew level with Fili and Kili, "Thorin has not...been himself, lately,"

"What is wrong with him?" Kili asked with a worried frown, "the way he looked at us - I've never seen him look so angry in my life,"

"You forced him to make a choice," answered Balin grimly, "the gold, or you,"

"And he chose the gold?" Fili exclaimed, paling slightly.

"The gold has a hold on Thorin, which none of us can really understand," explained Balin, "I fear that he has succumbed to the same sickness that took his grandfather. But even so, I do not know that you have made the right decision in staying with the elves and lake men,"

"It is the right decision," said Kili confidently, "we will persuade Uncle if it takes a year. And they will not mind - I don't think," he turned around with a questioning look at Legolas, who nodded and stepped forward to join the conversation.

"Father won't mind I'm sure. A few days won't make much difference," he said.

"Or a few months if Thorin doesn't come round," muttered Balin, before glaring up at Legolas suspiciously, "and who are you, elf? I remember you - you were the one who promised Thorin no mercy. How is it that you would not hesitate to kill him back then, and now you stand with his heirs as a supposed 'friend'?"

"I am Legolas of the Woodland Realm, and my father is King Thranduil," replied Legolas, "and you are right that I did have a rather...narrow view of dwarves when we last met, but I assure you that has completely changed since I met these two," he smiled and gestured to Fili and Kili, who grinned back.

"We've come to see elves as quite different creatures as well," remarked Fili, "and I'm sorry, I should be making proper introductions. Legolas, this is Balin,"

"At your service," Balin gave a curt little bow, though he still did not seem quite at ease.

Kili turned and beckoned to the three other elves, and they inquisitively came forward.

"Balin, this is the Lady Tauriel, who is the reason I am alive," Kili introduced the she-elf, who struggled to hide a blush.

"It's just Tauriel," she said quickly as Balin declared himself at her service.

"And this is Gol-" began Fili.

"Golradir and Gildor, at your service," grinned the brothers in a very good impression of dwarves, giving curt little bows like Balin's.

Balin frowned, before Fili and Kili burst out laughing and eventually the old dwarf couldn't hold back a smile.

"Very good, very good," he said, "glad to see your time spent with elves hasn't been entirely wasted,"

"Oh, we were very productive," smirked Kili, "Fili almost drowned Legolas once,"

"Hey, I was the one who stopped your thick skulled brother from drowning himself," retorted the elf.

"No, I had it all under control," argued Fili, earning bemused looks all round.

"I shall have to hear about this sometime," Balin said, an amused smile playing on his lips, "and I'm sure the rest of the company would enjoy it too, so perhaps it can wait until we are all back together again and we can exchange stories late into the night. But for now I am just satisfied to know that you are safe, and you are certain you are doing the right thing. You will need all of your conviction to stand up to Thorin a second time, if that is what you plan to do,"

"That is the plan," nodded Fili, "we will make him see sense, even if it takes the rest of our lives,"

"And get the gold shared out fairly," added in Kili, "I don't know how long Thranduil will be patient for,"

"That is very true," sighed Legolas, "I think it would be better for everyone if my father just went home with the rest of the army, but I do not think Thorin's demands for a retreat will do anything but increase our enmity,"

"Then I hope Fili and Kili are well protected," Balin said with a hint of threat in his voice that made him sound very like his brother, "they will not be blamed for their uncle's words and actions,"

"They have my complete protection," promised Legolas.

"And mine," added Tauriel. Golradir and Gildor nodded behind her. Balin's eyes shifted over their weapons, their bows and arrows and swords, then he nodded.

"It would not usually be in my nature, but - somehow I trust you," he replied. His gaze shifted over Fili and Kili. "Is that an Elven bow I see?"

"Aye, it is," smiled Kili, swinging it from his back and handing it to Balin to be examined.

The older dwarf ran his fingers along the smooth wood, turning the bow over in his hands and humming softly. "Elvish make alright - but in a dwarvish style? This is just like your old bow, Kili. Where in Middle Earth did you get it?"

"It's all thanks to Tauriel," Kili replied, turning to smile brilliantly at the she-elf, "she found my old bow in the forest, but it was beyond repair, so she gave it to the weapons makers to duplicate, and now I have this,"

Balin raised his eyebrows, pleasantly surprised. "It seems we do owe more to the elves than I first imagined," he remarked, "and I never liked the idea of giving Thranduil any of the treasure, but now I see that things are changing between our races, and I think it may be for the better,"

"I sincerely hope so," replied Legolas seriously, "and once this is all over, I hope all our differences can be forgotten along with the rest of our past quarrels and betrayals,"

Balin met Legolas's eyes with a hard glare, trying to discern how sincere the elf's words really were. He knew that Legolas was referring to one particular betrayal, many years ago when Balin had been a much younger dwarf - young, but not young enough to ever forget it. But the elf's eyes held such sincerity and remembered such sorrow that something stirred in Balin that he thought was off limits to all Elven kind: forgiveness. And he knew that Legolas saw it too.

"I must return now," said Balin, breaking eye contact, "the others will want to know what's happening, and Thorin won't be best pleased that I'm talking to you now,"

"Then tell everyone that we send our best wishes," nodded Fili, "and we will see each other tomorrow, I hope,"

"Until then," replied Balin, and he turned and climbed back up the rope ladder, to where the rest of the company impatiently awaited.

With no little sorrow, and many wistful glances behind them, Fili and Kili allowed Golradir and Gildor to haul them up onto the horses behind them. Even if they changed their minds now, there was no going back. Thorin would never allow it. They were so close to home, and yet they couldn't go inside - and it was by their own choice. Right now they could be chatting and joking with all the members of the company whom they had so missed, but they had forfeited that chance the moment they defied their uncle.

No, not their uncle. Not any more.


	27. Chapter 27

_Hello! Another chapter! For the last few days I've been fighting writer's block, aka too much homework and other stuff to do that it's taking over my mind and leaving no space for middle earth :( anyways, I've managed to get this chapter to you in spite of it being against the will of the Valar. Hooray!_

_I'm sorry if Thorin seems a bit OOC in the previous chapter, and this one, and probably in the next one, I find him quite a difficult character to write because he's so complicated, but remember that he is suffering from the gold-sickness and in the book he does shoot an arrow at one of Bard's men, so if he does anything that doesn't seem in his nature just blame it on that :) plus, he does hate Thranduil a lot. Or just blame me, and tell me what I could do better in the future. Whichever you fancy :)_

_Thank you for all the reviews for last chapter, they keep me running up to my bedroom at every possible moment to do some writing and get this out to you on time! You lovely people: **Syblime**, **InezSophia**, **Shreeg**, **FanOfRandomThings**, **jaymzNshed**, **tygrislily**, **leggomygreggo2**, **GregsMadHatter** and **fixusi**._

_Enjoy the chapter!_

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><p>As they rode back to the camp of elves and men, they talked only of Thorin and what it might mean if the gold sickness did not wear off. Bard contributed to the conversation a surprising amount, apparently having been impressed by Fili and Kili's willingness to denounce their kin and stand up for a people not their own. Kili explained that they hadn't really denounced their kin, but purely done what they thought was right. It didn't change the fact, however, that Thorin had disowned Fili and Kili in his last speech, and the young dwarves couldn't help but be affected by it. All they had done was to side with the elves and men in an argument over gold...actually, maybe that was a crime in their uncle's eyes even without the gold sickness. But he would never have sent them away like that in his right mind.<p>

Fili and Kili were rather glum for the rest of the day, though the guards tried their best to cheer them up. After hearing what had gone on at the gate of Erebor, all the elves (except Amras, as usual) seemed to warm up to the "exiled" princes and treated them with the utmost respect and gratitude whenever they came by.

No one noticed Tauriel leave.

The sun was at its peak in the sky, but so far that had done nothing to brighten Fili and Kili's spirits. Tauriel had noticed this in particular, and couldn't bear to see them - especially Kili, who was usually so bright and jovial - in such gloominess. They were so close to their home, but they could not enter it, and what was worse, they had chosen this path and whether it was the right one or not they could not help but blame themselves.

And so she set off, riding at full speed back to the mountain. She did not have a plan; she did not even know what she was going to say. All she knew was that she was angry with Thorin, and gold sickness or not, he had no right to dismiss his own nephews like that. She was going to let him know exactly what she thought about that - but perhaps with a bit of sugar on top so it didn't seem like she was threatening him, which would only make things worse.

When the gate loomed into sight, she thought she could see a figure on top of it, but she couldn't be sure because a moment later they were gone. As she drew her horse to a halt before the gate and dismounted, however, it was not long before the long nose and haughty features of Thorin Oakenshield peered over, undisguised loathing in his cold blue eyes. Tauriel wondered for a moment how those orbs could be so similar to Fili's, yet so different. Perhaps it was because an ominous shadow swam behind these ones.

"You are not welcome here, elf," he sneered, "go back to your precious trees where you belong,"

"No," replied Tauriel, "I will not return to my 'precious trees' until I see several things through. I came with a purpose,"

"To bargain for my gold, to which you have no claim?" Thorin guessed.

"That is not my intention," replied Tauriel, staying calm.

"Then what? If it is to threaten harm on my nephews, then you will be dead before you can even blink," scowled the King Under the Mountain.

"I would not ever wish any harm upon Fili and Kili," Tauriel answered with equal force, "as I recall, it is _you_ who have done the damage,"

"Are you laying blame on me for the consequences of my nephews' actions?" growled Thorin.

"Do you blame your nephews for the consequences of events that were out of their control?" countered Tauriel, "Kili did not choose to get injured. He did not choose to be unable to travel for so long. If you are to blame anything, you must blame the darkness that is creeping over the former Greenwood, my home, and the spiders and orcs that have been the cause of such evil,"

"And may I blame you for failing to keep that evil at bay?" accused Thorin, "it is your wood, after all," His eyes narrowed, as something clicked in his mind. "You are the captain of the guard, are you not? You were leading the group that surrounded us in the forest along with that elf you call Prince,"

"You remember correctly," replied Tauriel, "however, I am afraid that is no longer. I was dismissed from my position because I abandoned my post to save Kili's life,"

"And how am I supposed to believe that?" sneered the dwarven King, "an elf, sacrificing something for a dwarf?"

Tauriel wanted to tell him that she would willingly sacrifice a lot more for a certain dark-haired dwarf prince, but she bit her tongue, since it would probably only hurt Kili. The last thing she wanted was for him to suffer even more at the hands of his uncle. Instead, she said: "the divide between our races has existed too long. I believe it is time for it to be brought down,"

"Do you now? And what does your King have to say about that?" said Thorin, his lips twisted hatefully.

The she-elf averted her eyes to the ground to avoid the pure loathing in the dwarf-king's gaze. "I said before. He dismissed me. But I know of many others who share my views, including Prince Legolas,"

"Interesting," mused Thorin mockingly, "and how did these changes come about? I do not recall him helping us in Mirkwood, nor you for that matter,"

"You have your nephews to thank for that," Tauriel met his cold eyes again, "they showed that friendship can indeed be forged between our races, if only we put aside our old grudges and look beyond what we expect to see,"

"I do not need to look any further to see your true motives," Thorin said sharply, "you look only to gain my trust so that I may hand over the gold your King desires, and then you will leave with no more friendship than there was when he turned away _my_ people when they came _begging_ for his aid,"

"No, you are wrong," Tauriel denied, "I do not want gold, neither for myself nor for my King. I want you to amend your wrongs to Kili and Fili; they do not deserve your exile. When they come to you in the morning, you will not send them away again, for it is hurting them to do this - I have seen it. They long to join you, and they long to have their uncle back. They say this is not you, and I believe them. How could an uncle banish his own kin? I thought dwarves were loyal and dedicated to their family, but maybe I was wrong,"

"You are wrong on many levels," replied Thorin with condescending regality, "Fili and Kili no longer have my loyalty, as it seems I lost theirs long ago, when they befriended our lifelong enemies. And do not think I am stupid: they said themselves they would only join me once I hand over the gold that is unfairly demanded of me. By asking me to pardon them you are asking for my gold. I said it before, and I will say it again. Not a single copper coin leaves the halls of Erebor until you and your army are gone from this place, and only then will the men get their pay. But the elves will get nothing, for you have no claim at all. You have done nothing but harm my people. Now leave before I have a mind to shoot you,"

Tauriel gulped, suddenly noticing the heavy bow of horn that Thorin held in his left hand. She had no doubt that he would shoot her if he grew too impatient; the madness behind his eyes confirmed that. But the anger inside her continued to grow, and she did not think she could face Kili again if she did not stand up for him now.

"I will stay as long as it takes," she shouted up to Thorin, "for you to realise the damage you have done to your own nephews,"

"They are no nephews of mine!" roared Thorin, "they are ungrateful, unworthy little -"

"They followed you unwaveringly all the way here, and you cast them out before they've even got in! They are completely loyal to you, how can you not see that?"

"They have undermined my authority and therefore lost my trust -"

"They are your kin and they deserve more understanding from you!" Tauriel persisted, "they did what they thought was right, and they did what would save them. If they hadn't stood up to Thranduil and persuaded him to let them stay, Kili would have died of his wounds in the forest. If Fili hadn't trusted me to go out searching for Kili in the first place your _youngest_ _nephew_ would have died being _tortured_ by _orcs_! Surely you would not wish that above a friendship which you may disapprove of but is truly doing no harm?"

For a split second, Tauriel thought she saw Thorin flinch when she mentioned Kili's torture. A moment later, however, he composed himself majestically again. "There would have been no orcs around had you done your job properly and guarded your borders. No wonder Thranduil dismissed you,"

"Perhaps, but your nephews are alive and breathing and they want to come home. The least you could do is show some remorse for your actions," she retorted coldly.

"Then you shall be disappointed, for I will not show remorse for choices made by others. Fili and Kili must suffer the consequences of their actions," defied Thorin.

"They do not want us to be enemies, and neither do I," Tauriel argued, "they wish for this to be solved peacefully, and no blood to be spilled over what can be amended by friendship,"

"I have had enough!" boomed Thorin, "some things cannot be forgotten, nor forgiven, and where they stand no friendship will _ever_ form. Now LEAVE!"

Tauriel made no move to go. She stood firmly before the fortified entrance to Erebor, her lips set in a grim, narrow line, anticipating what was coming but not backing down from it. She would not flee from Thorin's rage, but endure it for as long as possible. For Kili.

"I will not leave," she said, preparing for the inevitable.

She barely had a split second to roll away as the heavy dwarvish bow was drawn back and released, and arrow whistling overhead where she had been standing moments before.

"Your nephews don't deserve this," she shouted up at the dwarven king as she sprinted back to her horse, dodging another arrow on the way, "they only want their home and their uncle back,"

"Then they must make that choice themselves," yelled back Thorin, "if they resent all elvish company and come begging on their hands and knees, then they may return. If not, then I will show no more compassion,"

"Was there any to start with?" muttered Tauriel in a low voice, but luckily Thorin didn't hear her. A moment later she was on her horse and riding away.

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><p>Feeling no better than she had when she had set out - in fact, worse, if it was possible - Tauriel rode furiously towards the camp in the ruins of Dale in an attempt to loose some of her anger before she had to face anyone else. What had been the point in that escapade? Nothing. She had just needed to rid herself of the emotions that seemed to be overflowing from her so often recently, and yet here she was, still having to hold them back so that she didn't break something. Maybe she needed Kili. It would be so good to get all her anxieties off her chest, and she knew Kili would listen and probably make her feel so much better, but she also knew that he had enough worries of his own to deal with and didn't need hers on top of that. She would not trouble him.<p>

Somehow, even amid the thoughts that yelled in her mind and occupied her, Tauriel found herself being even more subconsciously attentive than usual to the surroundings, and when a figure moved on the horizon to her right she noticed it immediately. It was a tall figure, and she thought it might be on a horse because no one was naturally that tall. It was fast approaching Dale from the opposite side that she was, and slightly to the west, but she guessed that the figure hadn't been spotted yet from the campsite. She figured that she could reach the it before it reached Dale, if she was fast. If it was a friend, she could greet them and show them to the appropriate leader; if it was a foe, she could see it off before it could do any damage. Leaning forward on her horse, Tauriel broke into a canter.

As she passed the rim of the camp, she heard someone call her name, but she ignored them, choosing instead to spur her horse on faster towards the rapidly approaching rider. She could see now that it was an old man with a long, grey beard, seated on a white horse and carrying a gnarled wooden staff in one hand. She had no clear memory of seeing him before, yet she knew she must have glimpsed him at one point or another in her lifetime because she recognised him immediately, and of course she had heard the stories of him. There was no one who hadn't heard of Mithrandir.

And then she remembered what Legolas had told her: the hobbit had said Mithrandir had chosen him to join the dwarven company. And Kili had told her once or twice about...what was his name...Gandalf, being involved with their quest somehow. It hadn't quite clicked back then, but she saw now that Gandalf was obviously the common name for Mithrandir. Come to think of it, she could remember being told that a couple of times before, though she hadn't paid conscious attention to it then.

So Gandalf was coming to help them - or so she hoped. Suddenly she felt brighter inside, as if a match had been struck to light up a bottomless crevice, showing that it wasn't bottomless at all. Gandalf would make everything right, she was sure of it.

"Greetings," smiled Gandalf knowingly as they came within earshot and drew level with each other, "I do not believe I have made the acquaintance...?"

"Tauriel," she told him, "you must be Mithrandir - or Gandalf as the dwarves call you,"

Gandalf sat up straighter suddenly, his face wrinkled into a frown. "You have met the dwarves? They were not meant to make themselves known in Mirkwood,"

"Don't worry, they're all fine," Tauriel assured him, "my King didn't do anything bad to them, except lock them up at first but then they escaped and there was a battle with the orcs that followed them and they all got away. And now the dragon is dead, as I'm sure you've heard, and Thorin is suffering from the gold sickness,"

"That is grave news indeed," Gandalf said, stroking his beard thoughtfully with the hand that didn't hold the reins of his horse.

"Which bit?" asked Tauriel.

"Well, orcs following them through Mirkwood is never a good start," replied Gandalf, "and though it is unfortunate that Thorin has succumbed to the dragon-sickness I must admit it is not entirely unexpected. I was a fool to hope that he might fight it, especially since that gold has been brooded over by Smaug for so long. But I am grateful that the company is safe. I assume you defeated the orcs?"

"We did," confirmed Tauriel with a smile, just as they drew into the camp, "though I was not personally involved,"

"Should you have been?" asked Gandalf inquisitively, dismounting from his horse to walk alongside Tauriel between the busy tents.

"Yes, I was the captain of the guard," she admitted, "but I was in the forest when they attacked, so I missed the whole battle,"

"And is there a reason for your use of the past tense in that statement? Are you not captain of the guard any more?" Gandalf frowned.

"I was dismissed," she replied with a shrug.

"Why?" asked the wizard, starting to grate on Tauriel's nerves a little now. Didn't he have more important things to ask her about?

She was saved, however, when they suddenly rounded a corner of a pavilion to come face to face with Fili and Kili. Gandalf physically jumped in surprise.

"Good gracious! What on earth are you doing here?" he exclaimed, "Thorin's nephews in an Elven camp, strolling about as if they own the place? I would very much like to know how this came about," he stared hard but kindly at each of the dwarves.

"We'll tell you, if you tell us where you've been all this time," replied Kili, "we could have done with a wizard plenty of times after you abandoned us, and uncle Thorin certainly needs one now,"

"Ah, you will learn of my errand in due course, if you really wish to know," said Gandalf, "though it is of little consequence here. And as for your uncle, I have heard of his predicament and I'm afraid there is nothing I can do. He must fight it himself. No other can fight it for him. But how about we find somewhere to sit and you can tell me all that has happened? For it seems you do not need a wizard to accomplish hitherto unprecedented deeds,"

"He means making friends with elves," Kili whispered loudly in his brother's ear.

"I know!" Fili hissed back in annoyance, though with a hint of amusement.

"We'll go to the armoury, there are chairs in there," suggested Tauriel.

"That sounds like a very fine idea to me," smiled the wizard, "let us make ourselves comfortable, and then you can tell me everything I've missed,"


	28. Chapter 28

_Dialogue, dialogue, and yet more dialogue. This chapter is pretty much all chattering, nattering and a bit of arguing. But I hope you enjoy it! I was afraid this would be another short chapter yesterday, but as it turned out I got a load of time for writing today so it is actually a bit longer than usual :) yay!_

_Also, when thinking about Gandalf, I realised that he and Thranduil would almost certainly hate each other, or at least the Elvenking would find Gandalf really annoying and patronising, even more so than Thorin does. So yeah, I had a bit of fun writing that in; you will see what I mean when you read the chapter ;)_

_As usual, thanks for all the wonderful reviews, they helped me power through my homework and get a load of writing time today! You awesome reviewers: **leggomygreggo2**, __**InezSophia**__, **tygrislily**, **jaymzNshed**, **Whitepurity**, **Syblime** and **GregsMadHatter**._

* * *

><p>Together the two dwarves, the wizard and the elf made their way to the 'armoury', which was really just the tent where the guard kept their weapons. It was not far away and was thankfully empty. There would certainly have been awkward questions if it had been occupied.<p>

The dwarves and wizard settled themselves on lightweight wooden stools around a small wicker table, but Tauriel stayed standing.

"I'll go and get Legolas, shall I? He'll want to know that you've arrived, Mithrandir," she said.

"Yes, do," nodded Gandalf, "and I shall want to speak to his father later as well. But first I would like to hear this story, which I am sure Fili and Kili are more than capable of telling in your absence,"

With a nod, and a quick smile at Kili, Tauriel left the tent to go and search for the Elven Prince. She knew several places where he could be, and she was secretly sure that she would return with him before the dwarves finished their tale, so without a moment's pause she sprinted off in the first direction that she suspected.

* * *

><p>Back in the tent, Fili and Kili told their story between them from the moment Gandalf had left them at the edge of Mirkwood, to their conversation with their uncle that very morning. The wizard was a good listener, and nodded at appropriate points but did not ask any questions or interrupt. It seemed even he was finding it rather a lot to take in.<p>

Just as they finished retelling their conversation with Balin outside the gate of Erebor, Tauriel reappeared, Legolas in tow. He had been in the last place she had looked: the royal pavilion. He had been reluctantly telling his father why Fili and Kili had returned with them instead of staying in Erebor with their uncle, a task that Legolas had been avoiding for as long as he could all through the day. Thus, shortly behind the Elven Prince came the Elvenking, who had demanded to see Gandalf at once then followed them to the armoury tent.

"Ah, I see you have brought the Elvenking," Gandalf stated the obvious, rising from his wooden stool, "thank you Tauriel, for everything,"

Tauriel smiled and nodded, graciously accepting the praise for what the dwarves had no doubt told Gandalf about her. Then she stepped back to allow her King to face the wizard at point blank range.

"You did not send word that you would be arriving, Mithrandir," said the Elvenking bluntly.

"And why would I have done? I have not disturbed you have I? And you seemed to know of my coming -" he broke off at the look on Tauriel's face, then smiled serenely, "- or maybe not. In any case, I am here now,"

Thranduil did not seem to share Gandalf's lighthearted mood, scowling slightly, though not enough to be un-kingly. "What business have you with the dwarves? What have they been telling you just now?"

"Oh, this and that," replied the wizard, not intimidated in the least, "I have had an interest in their quest right from the start. In fact, I believe it was I who finally persuaded Thorin Oakenshield to initiate it in the first place. So, naturally, I have been catching up on what I missed since I last left them on the other side of Mirkwood,"

"You were involved with this? These dwarves trespassing in my realm on a fool's errand?"

"You heard me correctly the first time, I believe, with those fine elvish ears of yours. And I find it a bit offensive that you call it a fool's errand even when the dragon is dead,"

"That was not the doing of the dwarves,"

"Ah, but it happened did it not?" Gandalf raised a bony finger to scratch his long nose, "and now all we have to do is make friends, share out the gold and live happily ever after. I see you have already started," he waved airily towards Fili and Kili, who had congregated towards Legolas and Tauriel and were watching the exchange with much interest.

"If you are so informed, then you will know that they are here not due to any friendship, but by the stupidity and stubbornness and foolish pride of their uncle, that did not permit them to join their own kind in the mountain," answered Thranduil, glaring daggers at the two dwarves, then, surprisingly, at his own son, "I have been persuaded to let them remain in this camp - for now,"

"Exactly," Gandalf smiled broadly, "and that is how all great friendships start: with tolerance,"

The Elvenking regarded the wizard with distaste for a long moment, then asked, "so what did you come for? Did you wish to see me for any other reason than to defend your beloved dwarves?"

"No, not particularly," replied Gandalf, "though I hope to help them much more than I have done just now. It might be more in your interest, however, to hear the news I bring. The Necromancer is gone, fled from Dol Guldur, and you may have more peace in your forest for a while. I cannot tell how long it will last, but you may find it easier now to keep back the spiders that I have been told about,"

"Really? Gone completely?" exclaimed Legolas hopefully.

"Gone for now," corrected Gandalf, "fled far from here. But there is no knowing when he might return,"

"It's better than nothing," commented Tauriel.

"I guess," agreed Legolas rather reluctantly, "it would be better just to end him completely though,"

"That may happen one day," conceded Gandalf, "though not in the foreseeable future. For now, just be glad that Mirkwood may be the Greenwood once more,"

"That is all very well Mithrandir," said Thranduil, "but what of our current problem? If you have come to help, then what do you suppose we do about that stubborn idiot of a dwarven King who will not give us a single coin before we declare war?"

"A good question," pondered Gandalf thoughtfully, "he has sent word to Dain, no doubt,"

"Dain?" broke in Legolas, trying to place the name.

"Of the Iron Hills," Fili informed him, "uncle's distant cousin,"

"And even if he hasn't," Gandalf continued as if there had been no interruption, "Dain will have heard the news by now and will come anyway. They will not be the only ones. Many parties will have heard of the dragon's demise and will be on their way here this very moment. The question is, who will reach us first, and will we be ready?"

"Does that mean there'll be war?" asked Kili unsurely.

"Almost certainly," replied the wizard darkly.

"But - against who? And with who?" frowned Fili.

"And when?" added Legolas.

"That remains to be seen," answered Gandalf, "though I have a few suspicions,"

"What?" pressed Kili, backed up by his brother.

"That is my own business," said the wizard shortly, "since they might not come true and you cannot afford to place too high trust in them,"

"I think it is our business -" began Fili, but at that moment Thranduil spoke.

"Mithrandir, I do not see the point in you withholding this information from us. Either tell us your suspicions or do not mention them in the first place,"

"Then I choose to not mention them in the first place," said Gandalf easily, "forget I said anything at all,"

"Yeah, like that helps," muttered Kili under his breath so only Fili could hear, "useless wizard,"

"But you still haven't said anything helpful about Thorin," pointed out the Elvenking icily, "I thought you were meant to be helping the dwarves,"

"My dear Thranduil," said Gandalf, ignoring the way the Elvenking's eyebrows met at this term of endearment, "I am helping them! I have turned up just in time to advise them on how best to approach their uncle tomorrow, and I am here to act as a peacemaker between you and Thorin so that no unnecessary conflict is created,"

"That will not be necessary, Mithrandir," said Thranduil haughtily, "there will be quite peaceable negotiations, I assure you, as long as Thorin remains reasonable,"

"Ah, but that is the problem," sighed Gandalf a little wearily, "right now I think it unlikely that Thorin is in a reasonable mood. The Thorin I know wouldn't have exiled his own nephews,"

"I would not have believed it impossible of him," remarked the Elvenking, "I find that dwarves have twisted priorities and corrupt morals,"

At this, Fili cleared his throat loudly and Kili made a noise of disbelief.

Legolas began warily, "Father -"

"I do not find that at all," cut in Gandalf sharply, "and if you spent any time getting to know them then you wouldn't either, Thranduil,"

The Elvenking regarded the wizard for a moment, then said, "I do not believe it is worth the effort,"

Gandalf looked back with a touch of impatience in his expression. "Perhaps you do not, but in my experience - which, may I say, is greater than yours - there are very few people on this earth who it is _not_ worth getting to know, and even the most unlikely of people can be full of surprises. In fact, it often works that way round; hobbits, for example,"

"Then what do you suppose we do to avoid an outright assault?" Tauriel brought them all back to the topic on hand, having been forgotten in her silence by all present but Kili and Gandalf.

"I suggest patience," replied the wizard, "those inside Erebor are no doubt suffering Thorin's madness just as we are out here, but maybe they can do something about it. In any case, it seems clear to me that we cannot help him from out here, nor can we get any closer in order to help - Fili and Kili confirm that - so all we can do is hope that his companions can do more than we can to aid him in his fight against the dragon-sickness,"

"So...we're just going to have to wait?" asked Kili, somewhat disheartened.

"I'm afraid that is all we can do," replied the wizard solemnly, but then he perked up, "but come, I have travelled long and hard, and I have not eaten yet today! Let us seek out some nourishment,"

With that, he strode past Thranduil and out of the tent. With a hasty glance at each other, Fili and Kili followed, and Tauriel slipped out after them. Sensing the irritable mood that the conversation had brought upon his father, Legolas hesitated only a moment before leaving the Elvenking in peace. On his own, Thranduil waited until his son's light footsteps had faded away before slipping out and taking a detour back to his own private tent. He didn't think he could stand another conversation with that dratted wizard today.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Gandalf woke Fili and Kili before sunrise.<p>

"Why?" yawned Kili grumpily, "Uncle's bound to be more irritable early in the morning,"

"Yeah, it's really not a good idea to set off this early," agreed Fili.

"Unfortunately, we will not be setting off at all," said Gandalf, receiving incredulous stares, "I am afraid our friend Bard has ensured that,"

"What do you mean?"

"Why would he do that?"

"I assure you, it was not intentional," Gandalf defended, "but it is a good guess that he is right this moment talking with your uncle. He set off not very long ago with a few of his men, but I was not quick enough to stop him, and too late to follow after,"

"Why did he have to set off so early? Why didn't he tell us?" complained Fili.

"I managed to get a few words out of a guard he left behind, who said that Bard wanted to talk to Thorin alone, without distractions or extra parts of the bargain," replied the wizard, "however I suspect he might have also felt sorry for you, and gone alone so that you do not have to face your uncle again,"

"But - since when has Bard felt sorry for us?" exclaimed Kili in bewilderment.

"Yesterday, I believe," answered Gandalf, "you moved a lot of people when you stood against your uncle,"

"But there were only a few of us there," argued Fili, "how can people be moved when they didn't see it?"

"Word travels fast in a camp as cosy as this," said Gandalf in explanation, "and remember that Bard saw it for himself," then the wizard smirked a little, "and certainly one of the people you caught the sympathy of was with you at the time,"

"Who? What do you mean?" asked Kili with a frown.

"I do not think she will thank me for telling you this, but you will thank her when I do," replied Gandalf, "I talked with the Lady Tauriel last night, and it appears that she went and spoke to Thorin for a second time, yesterday afternoon,"

"What?" exclaimed Kili, "but - oh, that explains where she was,"

"Yes, and though she is adamant that she did not manage to improve the situation, I am sure that Thorin thought deeply on her words afterwards, though he did not show any care at the time,"

"But if Bard has just gone and -" began Fili, stopping abruptly.

"Exactly," said Gandalf, "everything now depends on Bard. Whether he defends you or whether he demands the treasure for the men, like you say he did yesterday, may change everything. My guess is that his intentions have not altered overnight, though he means well. He may find himself at arrowpoint if he is not careful,"

"Uncle wouldn't -" started Kili.

"He would, and unfortunately, he has," replied the wizard.

"Wha...who...not -" Kili stuttered, realisation slowly dawning on him. Fili was just ahead of him.

"He threatened Tauriel?"

"Not just threatened," answered Gandalf. Kili was gone before he could blink.

* * *

><p>Kili found the she-elf sitting with her back against a tent in a secluded spot on the edge of the camp, staring out towards the west. The land stretched bare and barren, but somewhere, a long way in that direction, Kili knew lay the forest of Mirkwood.<p>

"Can I join you?" he asked quietly, not bothering to wait for a reply before slipping down beside her. The smile he got in return was all the answer he needed.

After waiting a couple of minutes, he ventured, "Gandalf said you went back to Erebor yesterday,"

Tauriel paused a long time before replying, "yes,"

"I'm sorry about uncle," blurted out Kili suddenly.

"Sorry? Sorry for what?" frowned Tauriel, "none of this is your fault,"

"But if I hadn't got lost in the first place and had to stay behind in Mirkwood, then uncle wouldn't be angry with us all and he wouldn't have shot an arrow at you and -"

"And we'd all be enemies like before and he would still have caught the dragon-sickness and there would most probably be war and I would never have met you," said Tauriel.

"You rank meeting me up there with war?" Kili chuckled.

"I would fight a thousand wars if the alternative was never meeting you," replied Tauriel with a smile that made Kili feel light headed.

They stared across the desolate lands together for a moment, then Kili asked, "do...do you miss home?"

"Of course not, we've only been away for a few days," denied Tauriel, then she looked sheepish, "well, a bit, I guess. I miss the trees,"

"I miss home," admitted Kili suddenly.

"Erebor? But -"

"No, not Erebor. The Blue Mountains. Ered Luin. Where mother waits for us to turn up on her doorstep announcing that Smaug's dead and she can come back to _her_ home. She remembers it well. But for me...well, I can't really miss a home I've never been in,"

"What's it like in Ered Luin?" asked Tauriel curiously, "is it like Erebor? Do you all live in one mountain?"

"No, it's quite the opposite actually," laughed Kili, "we're all spread out across the mountains between different villages of men. And we live in houses above the ground, like the houses of men, because we never really saw the need to tunnel into the mountain and build a permanent home - or rather, uncle didn't - because I guess we always thought we would be coming back to Erebor. And we have,"

"Then who do- did you live with?"

"Fili, and mother, and uncle," answered Kili, "quite high in the mountains near this one village where there were a lot of forges. That was how uncle earned money,"

"Even though he was King?" asked Tauriel, surprised.

"That's the thing, see?" Kili replied, "he never minded doing hard work, even though he should have been ruling a kingdom, and that's what made everyone look up to him. It's the only reason we had such a relatively comfortable life, and it inspired a lot of dwarves to do the same and carry on, no matter how much they had lost,"

"He sounds very different to the Thorin Oakenshield we saw yesterday then," mused Tauriel, "but he also sounds different to the Thorin I had to put in a cell back in Mirkwood. Why is that? I did not think he was affected by the dragon-sickness back then,"

"He was fine in Mirkwood," replied Kili, "at least, I didn't see him in the palace, but he seemed himself before the spiders, even if he was a little more tired and hungry and short-tempered than usual. But we all were,"

"The Thorin you describe is humble and cooperative and reasonable," frowned the she-elf, "he wasn't very much like that when he faced Thranduil - though come to think of it he did try to help Fili,"

"If anyone threatens his family - well, me or Fili really, mother won't let him stand up for her, she'll do it herself - then that's when he gets...a little hostile. He's overprotective to the limit, which is the only reason mother let us come on this quest at all. And he hates your King for abandoning his people when they had to flee Erebor,"

Tauriel nodded in agreement, "I get that impression. I guess that explains it then..." she paused, "he sounds like a really good uncle,"

"He was..." Kili trailed off. He didn't need to mention that this was exactly what made exile all the more painful: Tauriel could see it in his face.

"He will be again," she reassured him, placing an arm round his shoulders as he leaned into her side, his head lolling against her shoulder.

"I'm glad you're here," sighed Kili, "I would tell all this to Fili, but he's got the same problems,"

"And I'm glad you're here," replied Tauriel, "despite everything, I am glad this is how things happened,"

Kili suddenly broke into a grin. "I've told you about my home; now it's your turn to tell me about yours,"

Tauriel frowned, "what do you want me to tell you? You've seen it already,"

The dwarf rolled his eyes, "I've trekked through it half-starving, then wandered around aimlessly in a delirium. I hardly call that seeing,"

"We went into the forest on the night of the feast," pointed out Tauriel.

"Aye, we did," laughed Kili, "and I spent the whole time watching your face so the forest didn't get a chance,"

"What do you want to know then?" Tauriel gave in with a melodious laugh.

"Oh, I don't know, anything," said Kili with a wave of his hand, "tell me...what it was like before all this dark nonsense and spiders and stuff,"

"Before this...Necromancer, as Gandalf calls him? Well, that was a long time ago," began Tauriel, "I think he was there even before I was born, but I do remember a time when the evil things did not crawl so far as my home, and the woods were green and bright. I remember one time when I was...oh, how old was I? I must have been about a century, and old enough to know better, but for some bizarre reason I got the ridiculous notion in my head that I could jump between trees. It was fine, until I was caught by my trainer - who was captain of the guard at the time - and he distracted me and I missed the branch,"

"Were you ok?" asked Kili urgently.

"If you mean did I hurt myself in the fall, then no, I had nothing more than a sprained wrist," replied Tauriel with a chuckle, "but oh did I get a verbal lashing from old Baranor!"

Kili laughed, remembering the many times he received a 'verbal lashing' from Dis for his immaturity. Thorin wasn't too bad. It was his mother who he really feared. A particularly vivid memory sprung to mind.

"I remember once when I was about twenty, and learning to use a bow," he recalled, "I was disappointed that I couldn't learn the sword yet, like Fili, because I wasn't strong enough to lift it properly. Then Balin told me in a history lesson that bows often won battles because they could take down the enemy before they even got near enough to attack, and they could be used from safe places like battlements on a fortress...so of course I wanted to try shooting from an obscure and out-of-reach sort of place immediately. I climbed a tree in the woods with my bow and waited for someone to come by so I could give them a surprise - not shoot them, of course, just aim in front of their face to make them jump. But when Fili came by looking for me my foot slipped just as I was about to release the arrow, and I ended up falling clean out of the tree and almost impaling myself on my own arrowhead. I would have got away with it if the arrow hadn't cut my hand, or if the shaft hadn't broken. Fili wasn't going to tell, but mother got the whole story out of us anyway. She has a way of doing that," he smirked ruefully.

"I guess you learned from that mistake then? Never shoot from a tree without a firm foothold and the trunk at your back?" asked Tauriel, laughing.

"Nope, didn't learn that until a lot later on," answered Kili, grinning wider, "it usually takes about three attempts for lessons like that to soak in,"

"But you know now, right?"

"Only because you just told me," Kili grinned, eliciting an amused sigh from the elf beside him.

"We're going to have to incorporate that into our next archery tournament - if you come back sometime," Tauriel cast a sharp glance to the dwarf's head on her shoulder.

"You mean when I come back," Kili raised his head to meet her eyes with a smirk, "after getting away with it once, there's no way I'm going to miss the opportunity to impose on your king's hospitality again,"

Tauriel laughed, "If he allows it. You might find yourself camping,"

A clattering behind them caught their attention just then, and a moment later Fili stumbled out from between two tents, kicking a few kitchen utensils behind him in irritation and rubbing his head ruefully. He stopped abruptly when he saw Kili and Tauriel sitting so close. Tauriel dropped her arm guiltily.

"Um...sorry...just...I mean..." Fili began, obviously feeling just as awkward as the two sitting on the ground.

"No, it's alright, come and sit down," smiled Kili, breaking through the tension at once with his light words, "I was just saying how we should go back and visit Mirkwood once this is all over, and have another competition,"

"Perhaps we should invite the whole company along," suggested Fili, taking up the offer and sliding down next to Kili, swords rattling about in their scabbards as he hit the ground.

Kili laughed, "yeah, I'd like to see Dwalin take on a few elves. All at once of course,"

"I'm not sure that would be the best idea," said Fili cautiously, "it might end with blood being drawn,"

"Good point," agreed Kili.

"Which one is Dwalin?" asked Tauriel curiously.

"Bald on top, carries axes, always looks angry," replied Fili easily, "the one you'd least want to mess with - besides uncle, of course,"

"I'm not sure," said Kili, "Dwalin's taller than uncle,"

"You're tall, and that doesn't make you intimidating," teased Fili, earning an elbow in the ribs, "it doesn't matter anyway, because if you mess with one you mess with the other,"

"I didn't notice Dwalin up on the battlements," frowned Tauriel.

"Yeah, well, he isn't really one for verbal negotiations," shrugged Fili.

"More like aggressive negotiations," added Kili, "and he probably wanted to preserve his ears from uncle's - is that Bard?"

Forgetting the conversation immediately, the other two followed Kili's gaze over to their right, where the Lonely Mountain lay to the north. Indeed, four horses with riders on were approaching the camp at a gallop. The trio got to their feet, and with Tauriel in the lead they hurried through the camp to where they predicted Bard and his men would enter.

They were not the first to get there. Legolas and a few of the guard were already greeting the men when Fili, Kili and Tauriel arrived at the scene. Bard was looking even more grim than usual, and a couple of the men looked distinctly disgruntled; one of them even sported a deep bloody cut across one cheek. Seeing the dwarves, Bard turned and addressed them, getting straight to the point.

"I am afraid that Thorin was not in one of his best moods today,"

"Well you shouldn't have set off so early should you?" muttered Kili so that Bard didn't hear.

"He still refuses to bargain or negotiate a deal, and so I was forced to do the only thing I could," the descendant of Girion continued.

"What does that mean?" demanded Fili, not anticipating anything good.

"It means we are putting Erebor under siege," replied Bard, "no one will go in or out without us knowing about it. I have put two men on sentry duty already. Thorin's company will run out of food eventually,"

"How much food did you give them when they left Lake Town?" asked Fili dubiously, "we survived for a long time in Mirkwood on barely anything,"

"They had a full pack each, if I remember correctly," replied Bard, his mouth tightening even further, if possible.

"Then that's not going to work," said Kili, "you might as well wait for us all to die of cold when the first frost comes,"

"Or for them to dig a tunnel out of the mountain and escape anyway," said Fili, sharing a meaningful look with his brother. They did not know whether the company had the use of the secret door, but they weren't going to tell anyone about it just in case they did.

"Nevertheless, it might be what Thorin needs to make him give over the gold," Legolas said half-heartedly, clearly not believing it himself.

"Or it might be just what Thorin needs to send word to Dain to attack you as soon as he arrives," came the angry voice of Gandalf as the wizard stepped out from behind a tent, "Bard, I am afraid this is not going to work. If this comes to enmity, Thorin will not back down, nor will he forgive or forget once it's over. I fear you have made a grave mistake in placing yourself against him,"

"I had no choice. Look what he did to my men!" Bard gestured to the warrior behind him with the gash in his cheek, and held up a broken arrow.

"You should not have gone so early, and without notice," Tauriel shrugged, "I could have warned you about that,"

"About what?" Bard asked accusatorially.

"About Thorin's tendency to shoot arrows at people who annoy him," she replied smoothly.

Bard narrowed his eyes. "What do you know?"

"Many things which you do not," broke in Gandalf, seeing that it was time to dissolve this argument, "just as you know many things that she does not. But if we make a habit of combining our knowledge and experiences then we may find the complete answers to many problems this world holds. All it needs is a little trust and openness and friendship. And food. Who wants to eat breakfast?"

As the group dispersed, Fili frowned at the wizard's retreating back. "Wasn't food his excuse last time?"

"Food, the answer to all the world's problems," Kili rolled his eyes, "he's beginning to remind me of Bilbo,"

"Spends too much time with hobbits, no doubt," agreed Fili.

"Hey Fili...breakfast does sound good," said Kili with a hopeful note in his voice.

"Let's go get some then," Fili grinned back.


	29. Chapter 29

_And it's another long chapter! Aren't I just too good to you guys? ;) But hey, you deserve it, you're awesome._

_And top of the awesome list are: **GregsMadHatter**, **jaymzNshed**, **InezSophia**, **Syblime**, **leggomygreggo2**, __**Shreeg**__, **FanOfRandomThings**, **fixusi**, and a lovely guest called __**Moonlight**__._

_Enjoy the chapter!_

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><p>The next few days were, to tell the truth, relatively uneventful. They did not return to the gate of the mountain, but instead decided to wait for Thorin to make the first move towards either a surrender or a friendship. But on the fifth day, after nothing at all happening for so long, Fili had had enough and he could see Kili had too. Deciding it was time to do something, as soon as he could catch his brother away from the prying ears of elves he made a suggestion.<p>

"Tonight we sneak into to Erebor,"

"Sorry, did I hear you correctly?" Kili raised his eyebrows, looking at his brother sceptically in the flickering light of the campfire around which several cooks were roasting vegetables, the dancing flames illuminating the side of the tent they were hiding behind.

"I think we should try and talk to some of the company, catch up with everything, find out what's happening with uncle," explained Fili, "and tonight's as good a time as any,"

At this, Kili's face split open in infectious laughter, quickly muffled as he realised they were meant to be talking in private. "Honestly brother, soon you'll be stealing my reputation for hair-brained schemes," he grinned.

"Oh, I'd have to try a lot harder to beat you," smirked Fili, "but what do you think? Are you in?"

"Oh, definitely," Kili affirmed, "I think I would have suggested it myself at some point if you hadn't. I'm sick and tired of not knowing anything that's going on, and I would like to see everyone again,"

"Great," grinned Fili, "we'll set off as soon as the camp's quiet tonight,"

"Who are we going to tell?" asked Kili, still grinning with anticipation, "are we going to tell anyone?"

Fili frowned, "I wasn't planning to. But it might be useful to have someone to cover for us if we're missed,"

"...Tauriel?"

"She'll probably insist on coming with us," pointed out Fili, "but I'm not sure she would be welcomed by everyone in Erebor, especially after her last encounter with uncle. And she doesn't need any more trouble with the Elvenking,"

Kili sighed, but accepted Fili's words. "What about anyone else in the guard? Anyone we trust?"

"Well, I suppose there's Gildor and Golradir," Fili mused, "and possibly Rúthen, but they'd all be more likely to stop us from going, or else report to the Elvenking. I know they would want to help us, but I don't think that's enough for them to break rules,"

"Legolas?" Kili suggested finally in defeat.

"No, don't be ridicu- wait a minute. I think you may be on to something there," Fili's eyes widened with realisation, "you know, I think he would do that for us,"

"He is the prince..." Kili said dubiously.

"But that doesn't mean he'll tell his father," Fili countered, "we've seen he doesn't mind breaking rules once in a while, and I think he understands our need to go and see our friends, but he won't insist on coming with us and he's the perfect person to stall for us if anyone finds out we're gone,"

"Mahal, you're right! You don't think he would tell anyone else though? Like Tauriel?"

"Not if we ask him not to," Fili said with a wide grin, "come on, let's go and find him in case we can't later,"

He turned and started to walk briskly through the camp, Kili hopping along to catch up then falling into step easily beside him. They did not run so as not to draw attention to themselves, but they strolled along as fast as possible on their short dwarvish legs.

They found Legolas quicker than anticipated when they stumbled across an argument between a man and a youthful elf, which the Elven prince had been drawn into against his will and was hastily trying to amend, without success.

"I tell you, he stole my whittling knife from right under my nose! It has to be him, it was only quiet enough to be a wretched elf like you," accused the man, pointing at the poor confused elf and shouting at Legolas.

"I assure you, it was not him," Legolas began in a calming tone, but the man wasn't having any of it.

"He stole it! He has it! Search him, I know you'll find it,"

"Randir, please turn out your pockets and show this man that you did not steal his whittling knife," sighed the prince. The adolescent elf obliged, emptying his pockets of many knifes, pieces of string and dried fruit among other things, but Fili could see from where he observed that there was no knife that looked to be man-made.

"Is this your knife?" Kili's voice broke in, the dwarf appearing at that moment from behind a tent at the opposite side of the argument to where Fili had seen him last. How had his brother got over there so quickly without him noticing?

The man's eyes narrowed, his attention turning to Kili immediately. "That is my knife. Where did you get it, you little thief?"

"It was on the floor just there, hidden beneath that tent canvas. You must have dropped it," Kili shrugged, holding it out for the man to take.

The man's hand shot out and snatched back his knife, tucking it inside his jacket out of sight, his eyes never leaving Kili's face. Then he turned and stalked away with a look of extreme irritation.

"Well, that's sorted," Legolas said with an audible sigh of relief, "Randir, go back to your cousin, and try not to be accused for any more theft or I might have to send you home; you know you are only here by sheer power of persuasion,"

"I know," grinned Randir, stuffing his belongings back into his pockets, "thanks, your highness,"

"Don't thank me, thank Kili, he found the knife," Legolas replied.

"Okay...thanks Kili," said the young elf somewhat shyly; he was clearly uneasy around the dwarves, but despite that he did seem curious, and certainly not hostile.

"It's nothing, lad," Kili assured him with a carefree wave, feeling that he could empathise with this elf in quite a few ways.

With another grin, Randir sprinted away, leaving Legolas with the dwarves.

"Were you looking for me?" he asked curiously.

"As a matter of fact, we were," said Fili, stepping out from where he had been watching the whole ordeal, "but you've got to promise you won't tell anyone about this, once we tell you,"

Legolas frowned, "I don't like the sound of this. Whether I tell depends on what it is, so I'm not making any promises,"

Glancing at each other, Fili and Kili came to a silent agreement.

"Ok, I guess we'll just risk it then," said Kili, "the thing is, we're bored of waiting for uncle to yield,"

"And we don't think he ever will," added Fili.

"Without external input,"

"Which means our friends in Erebor need to persuade him,"

"But we don't think they're trying hard enough,"

"Or else something has gone wrong, so we thought we'd go and find out what the situation is there,"

"By sneaking out of the camp tonight after dark,"

"We're not asking you to come with us," Fili cleared up hastily at the look on the elf's face "just telling you so you know where we are if something bad happens,"

"And you can cover for us if we're caught," Kili added, not missing the most important point.

"Have you told anyone else about this?" asked Legolas.

"No, you're the only one we were planning to tell," replied Fili, "the more people who know about it, the higher the chances are that someone will find out who we don't want to know,"

Legolas nodded thoughtfully for a moment, then said, "well, I can't blame you for wanting to see your friends, and if you catch them at the right time you may be able to talk without your uncle finding out, which is the main thing. And as far as I know you are not actually breaking any rules; my father did say you are free to leave as you please, so I can't see how that shouldn't apply to the middle of the night either. So don't worry, I won't tell,"

Kili broke into a broad smile, "thanks, Legolas. We'll be back before dawn, and no one will ever have to know,"

"Will you be taking horses?" asked the elf, and the brothers' faces fell, having not thought about this point.

"It's not far, we could walk and still be there and back before dawn," said Fili, "and it would be even quicker if we ran,"

"Um...perhaps we could ride a horse together?" suggested Kili, a sudden dread flickering across his eyes that was barely noticeable, but not missed by his brother.

"Neither of us can ride a horse, so I don't think it would make much difference if we shared one," Fili pointed out, "it makes more sense to go on foot,"

"We could find a small horse..." Kili almost pleaded, causing Fili to cast a worried glance sideways.

"Are you ok? Wait...don't tell me your ankle is still hurting you?"

Kili's small, involuntary grimace was answer enough. Fili frowned and placed his hands on his brother's shoulders, realising for a moment that it was an advantage that he was slightly shorter than Kili: the younger dwarf could not use looking down as a strategy to avoid the older's eyes.

"How long have you been hiding it? Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, unable to stop hurt creeping into his voice.

"T's nothing," mumbled Kili, "it's not all the time. Mostly when I've been walking 'round a lot. And when I run,"

"Why didn't you mention it before? I know it was impractical to bring your crutches from Mirkwood, but I could have made you a new pair, in all the time we've been here," exclaimed Fili.

"No, I'm fine, honestly," stressed Kili, "it's been doing it a lot less than it did before, but I just...I don't think I'll be able to walk to Erebor," he admitted finally, a look of defeat in his eyes.

Unexpectedly, Fili pulled Kili into a tight and fast embrace, which, after a moment, Kili returned confusedly.

"Tell you what," Fili murmured into Kili's ear, "we'll take a horse, and you can ride it while I lead it. It won't be as fast as us both riding, but I can run and you won't have to walk,"

Kili smiled into his brother's golden hair, "I knew you'd think of something,"

When they finally broke away from the hug, Legolas looked questioningly at them, having tactfully observed a thrush sitting atop a tent pole all through the brothers' exchange.

"Kili's riding, I'm running," Fili explained, and the elf gave a nod to show that he'd understood.

"You can take my horse, I'll make sure it's saddled up," Legolas offered, "it's separate from the other horses, so you'll be able to untie it without creating a great disturbance,"

"Thanks, that would be great," smiled Kili, "we'll take care of it,"

"Oh, and she's called Loborel," mentioned Legolas, "she'll trust you better if you call her by her name,"

"Well, I suppose that's a better name than the ones Bilbo gave our ponies," remarked Fili, "he named them after flowers, of all things,"

"Actually, 'Loborel' just comes from the word for horse in Sindarin," admitted Legolas with a chuckle, not finding it at all hard to imagine the little hobbit naming ponies after flowers.

* * *

><p>And so it was settled. Three hours after darkness had fallen, the camp was finally silent, and Kili shook awake a dozing-off Fili to tell him it was time that they should set off. It was not too hard to navigate the camp in the dark, since lanterns hung off many poles stuck vertically into the ground, lighting up the surrounding area just enough to see by; and plus, the moon was by now a bright oval in the sky. They knew where the ponies were kept, and wasted no time in finding them. Legolas had stayed true to his word and left Loborel saddled and ready to go, tied a few feet away from where the other horses slept soundly on their feet.<p>

Kili approached the mare gently, whispering her name as loudly as he dared, until with a light snort the dark brown horse, with a mane that almost resembled Kili's hair, awoke and blinked at them out of intelligent hazel eyes. Kili advanced further with soft, comforting, nonsense words, Fili following not far behind, until the younger Durin was close enough to untie the rope that tethered Loborel to a wooden post behind her. Then, together, the brothers led the obedient horse away from her companions and out of the camp the quickest way possible. They followed the edge of the camp round to the North, the direction in which they were heading, until they were directly facing the Lonely Mountain in the distance and Fili suggested that it was time for Kili to mount the horse.

Almost comically, Kili grasped a firm hold of Loborel's dark mane as high up as he could reach, then tried to lift his foot into the stirrup, which looked as if it had been raised to its maximum. Fili realised that Legolas had probably done this intending to help Kili, so that he could put his feet in when riding, but he clearly hadn't considered the problem of getting onto the horse in the first place.

"Do you want a leg-up?" Fili finally suggested, after watching his brother struggle for a minute or so.

Kili accepted the offer, and Fili knelt so that Kili could use his knee as a step up into the stirrup. It took Kili a bit of a run-up, but eventually he managed to swing his arms over the patient torso of the horse and slide his way uncomfortably into the saddle. His feet still didn't reach the stirrups. After confirming that everything was fine, Fili took the rope leading the horse and without a moment's pause he set off at a run.

The journey took less than an hour in all, Fili managing to keep up a good pace all the way due to his endless dwarvish stamina. Before they knew it, the gate was looming before them, and luckily for them it wasn't their uncle on watch duty at the top of the wall. Ori, always attentive and always obedient, spotted them immediately and had to muffle a squeal of surprise. He rushed to the edge of the wall and signed down in Iglishmêk.

_"I'm going to wake Nori, we'll let down the rope for you. Tie your horse to that stone pillar there,"_

_"Thanks,"_ signed back Fili with one hand, since the other remained holding the leading rope. As the scribe disappeared he spotted the pillar Ori had pointed to and hastily tied the rope around it, making sure it wouldn't come undone, before helping Kili dismount clumsily from the horse's back.

It was barely a moment later that Ori returned, Nori at his side, a rope held between them. It had a loop at one end, which they let down to the Durins on the ground and Kili immediately put his foot through. Together, the younger Ri brothers hauled him up to the top of the wall, before letting the rope down again for Fili. This time it was quicker because Kili also helped pull up his brother, and in no time at all the four of them were standing together on top of the fortified wall.

Nori was the first to speak. "So, any particular reason for visiting us?" he grinned.

"Shhh, Nori, we don't want to wake up Thorin," hissed Ori.

"Good point, who do we want to wake up?" asked Nori.

"Um..." said Kili, glancing at Fili, neither of them having thought about this.

"Well, all of you would be nice," frowned Fili, "but then there's more chance of uncle discovering us,"

"So there isn't actually a reason you came here?" smirked Nori, one braided eyebrow raised.

"Just to see you," explained Kili, "and to find out what exactly is happening with uncle,"

"Well, Dwalin would be the best person to tell you that, since he's been spending the most time with our dear King," answered the thief, "but he's also the person most likely to tell Thorin that you're here,"

"We've all tried to persuade him," said Ori earnestly, "but he doesn't seem to take in anything we say. We're all on your side though,"

"I wouldn't be so sure," said Nori, leaning in and whispering even quieter, "Gloin's pretty set against those elves, and Dwalin will go by anything Thorin says even if he doesn't believe it himself,"

"Shall we sit down properly and talk?" suggested Ori, and the others nodded and followed him just inside the entrance, when suddenly both Fili and Kili stood stock still and just gazed.

Gold and jewels and steel and mithril and more treasure than they had ever imagined in their lives put together spilled across the dragon-sized cavern like an ocean. The ceiling and the walls were specimens of perfect masonry, as were the pillars that weren't smashed, carven out of the living rock with intricate runes. They had never seen anything like it.

"I never imagined..." breathed Fili.

"Me neither," agreed Kili.

"Oi, we haven't got all night," Nori said, tearing the duo away from their reverie, "come and sit, the company are sleeping over there but if we talk quietly they won't hear us here,"

The Durins obediently followed Nori to the edge of the cavern, where there were several stone blocks which had not been used for building the wall outside, and it was on these that they seated themselves.

Once they had all settled, Nori leaned forward on his elbows and asked, "so...tell me about these elves that you're so eager to defend,"

"Do they really hug trees?" asked Ori innocently.

Kili laughed, "no, of course they don't. But there are some frighteningly good archers among them,"

"Who Kili managed to beat in a tournament," added Fili proudly.

"Well, only some of them," Kili shrugged modestly, "Fili managed to win all his sword fighting duels,"

"Apart from the one I drew," corrected Fili.

"You threw the prince of Mirkwood in a river, don't say that's not an achievement," smirked Kili cheekily.

"You what?" exclaimed Ori, open mouthed.

"He went swimming with Prince Legolas," Kili answered before Fili could speak, causing Nori to silently guffaw and Ori to slap his hand over his own mouth to stop himself from laughing too loudly.

"It was an accident," Fili cleared hastily, "I didn't realise the river was behind me,"

Kili simply raised his eyebrows.

"Ok, I might have realised at the last moment and sidestepped instead of blocked," sighed Fili, "and he may or may not have been forcing me towards the river in the first place. I still haven't got him to confess yet,"

"You have my deepest respect now," grinned Nori, "that's something even Thorin would have to be proud of,"

"Don't tell him," warned Fili seriously, "the Elvenking doesn't know either,"

"Really? The prince didn't tell him?" asked Ori, surprised.

"Nah, Legolas is our friend," said Kili, "and that would mean admitting that he lost to a dwarf,"

"Drew," corrected Fili automatically.

"What's their food like?" Nori inquired, "you said in those letters ages ago that it wasn't as good as Bombur's cooking. How have you survived so long on it?"

"Actually, for a long time they were preparing for the feast of starlight, which involved a lot of practising, so we had an endless supply of elvish delicacies thrown our way whenever we entered the kitchens," said Fili.

"And it was really good food," added Kili, "lots of it. Believe me, we didn't starve,"

"Did they not mind you staying for so long?" questioned Ori.

"Well, at one point the Elvenking was going to kick us out," said Kili, "but we had a bit of help persuading him to let us stay,"

"It was mostly Kili, actually," smiled Fili, "he was only just out of bed, but he still marched right up to the Elvenking and made a speech,"

"Oh, we almost forgot!" cried Ori, "Kili, how are your injuries? Are they all better now?"

"Thanks to elvish healing," replied Kili, pulling up the hem of his trousers to show the fading scar on his left ankle, "I nearly died though. Wasn't nice,"

"Really?" Ori's eyes were wide, "how?"

"Combination of spiders and orcs," shrugged Kili, and Fili could see that he didn't feel as carefree as he sounded, and would rather move off this topic.

"So...is there any other news?" he asked curiously.

"Not rea- actually, yes, there is," Nori suddenly straightened up, "Dain and his army of more than five hundred dwarves are within two days march of Dale. You may find yourselves in trouble when they come,"

"So Gandalf was right," sighed Fili.

"Wait - Gandalf is with you?" exclaimed Ori, completely forgetting to lower his voice in excitement.

"Aye, he's with us alright," smirked Kili, "and giving sage old advice that's no use to anyone, as usual,"

"Did someone say Gandalf is back?" came an excitable squeak from behind a pile of gold, and as they all turned towards the sound, Bilbo emerged rather timidly to face the group.

"Ori, why did you have to go and shout like that, you've woken Bilbo," chided Nori.

"No, no, I was awake before that," the hobbit assured them, "I saw you come in,"

"What were you doing awake?" Fili questioned suspiciously.

"Couldn't sleep," admitted Bilbo, although there was something else that flickered behind his eyes. If the dwarves noticed this, however, they decided to ignore it, and invited Bilbo to join them round the circle.

"So what's the wizard's excuse for leaving us for so long?" asked Nori.

"Says he was doing something in the South," answered Fili, "something to do with the...the Necromancer, I think it was,"

"Oh, I've heard of that," Ori's eyes widened, "Bofur told me a really scary story about it once,"

"It probably wasn't true," scoffed Nori, but Ori shook his head wildly.

"He swore that every word of it was,"

"What did he swear on?" asked Kili suspiciously.

"His hat," replied Ori, wide eyed and serious.

This drew a laugh from all of the others, leaving the young scribe scowling in quite an un-Ori like manner.

"Oh, cheer up brother," implored Nori, "might as well laugh while we've still got our heads on our shoulders,"

"That doesn't make me feel better," whimpered Ori, the frown replaced instantaneously with fear.

"War's inevitable now though," admitted Fili, "even Gandalf says so, though he mentioned something about 'other parties' heading this way,"

"Actually, that's one of the only sensible things Thorin has said recently," recalled Nori with a worried look, "he said we might expect Goblins or Orcs to come after the gold, and that we should be armed. So I got myself these,"

He opened out his coat with a smirk, to reveal a positive array of throwing knives, beating even Fili's impressive collection.

"Did you find all those...here?" asked Fili, eyeing the neat row of blades enviously.

"All you have to do is look hard enough," winked Nori, "though I do miss my old weapons,"

"The elves have them," Kili said suddenly.

"Wow, I would never have guessed that the people who took them away in the first place would still have all our weapons," Nori rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"No, what I mean is," Kili said, annoyed, "they brought all your weapons with them here, to give them back. But then...this all happened," he shrugged apologetically.

"But I'd say if there's a battle and they're on our side then they would probably bring them all back to you," commented Fili.

"Tell you what, if there's a battle, we'll make sure they all get here," promised Kili.

"Kili, you don't know if we'll be able to get here if there's a battle," Fili observed.

"We can try," argued Kili.

"That's good enough for me," stated Nori with a shrug, "as long as you try, no one can blame you if you don't succeed,"

"But will you be safe? If there is a battle?" asked Bilbo, put on edge by all this talk of weaponry and fighting, "Thorin gave me this mithril coat," he lifted up the hem of his tunic to show the glinting armour underneath, "but you haven't been given any,"

"That, Mr Boggins, is a very good point," said Kili, "but I don't know if we should be stealing from our own kingdom,"

"If it is our own kingdom then it's not stealing," pointed out Fili, "and I'm sure that despite everything, uncle would rather we be thieves than dead,"

"He hasn't killed me yet," Nori grinned, "so I think you're safe,"

With sudden enthusiasm bubbling up inside, Fili and Kili leapt to their feet.

"I think we'll just go and...er...explore a bit then, if you don't mind," said Kili.

Nori grinned back, "go ahead, this isn't my watch so if you're caught I'm not to blame,"

"Hey," Ori bravely elbowed his older brother hard in the ribs, forgetting the numerous collection of knives that lay beneath Nori's coat.

"Ow - ow, that hurt!" Nori cursed, Khuzdûl flowing freely in a breathless whisper from his mouth. Ori sensibly put his fingers in his ears and hummed lightly, waiting for his brother to finish. Bilbo didn't understand any of it anyway, so he simply sat on his brick stool, very deep in thought.

Meanwhile, Fili and Kili delved deeper and deeper into their kingdom's wealth, finding more and more trinkets to add to their collection. They had made an agreement not to steal anything purely for its value, but rather to take only weapons and armour that they could actually put to good use. The gold somehow didn't seem so appealing now as it had in the tales, the knowledge of what it was doing to their uncle weighing on their minds.

Both secretly hoped that there would be no battle at all and everything would be resolved peacefully, but they knew that there was a slim chance of that happening and accepted that it was better to be prepared. So far, Fili had expanded his knife collection by three, and Kili had found a shirt of chainmail that fitted like it had been made for him. They continued their search for at least another hour, by the end of which both were fully kitted out in dwarvish armour and carrying a selection of new weapons. Kili had even gone so far as to acquire a sword, which he didn't usually carry but could nonetheless use efficiently and effectively, albeit not quite as expertly as his brother could.

"I think that's about it, right Kili?" said Fili eventually.

"I can't think of anything else we might need," shrugged Kili, "and are you sure you need all those knives? We're going to have to hide all this stuff somewhere, we can't carry it round all the time, and one knife too many might be what gives it all away,"

"You can never have too many knives," argued Fili, "better to have more than to run out when you need them,"

Kili smirked, "you just can't stand Nori beating you" then he shrugged, "ok...I think we're ready to go then,"

They wound their way stealthily back towards the main gate, but just as they were about to round the last pile of gold they heard the sound of hushed voices which did not belong to Bilbo, Ori or Nori.

"Are you sure? 'Cause I can do it if you want to sleep,"

"No, it's fine Bombur. I'm not tired anyway. Go back to sleep, you need it more than I do," Now _that_ was Nori.

"'Kay. But wake me if anything happens," Bombur yawned, before there was a rustling sound, and as Kili peeked out from behind the gold he saw the fat cook snuggle back down into his coat and begin to snore loudly once more.

Turning to see Kili, Nori beckoned that it was safe for the brothers to come out, and in single file they followed Nori back to the main gate. Ori was waiting there with Bilbo, who for some reason was now carrying his small pack and wearing his coat.

"I'm coming with you," the hobbit announced as they drew near.

"What?" Fili frowned, "but uncle will notice that you're gone,"

"That doesn't mean he has to know anything about you being here," pointed out Nori, "and he says he'll be back before dawn,"

"I only want to see Gandalf," explained the hobbit, "and I just really need to get out of this place, away from all this wretched treasure,"

Kili shrugged at his brother, not understanding why Bilbo would want to get _away_ from the treasure but realising that he was a hobbit and these things did not have the same effect on other races.

"I don't see why not," said Fili slowly, looking slightly suspicious and glancing to Ori who also looked not quite at ease.

"As long as you don't spend too long in the camp, you'll make it there and back again easily," said Kili.

"Great," smiled Bilbo brightly, though it didn't quite reach his eyes, "will we be walking?"

"You can share the horse with Kili," said Fili, "she can easily take you both. I'm running,"

"What - all the way?" asked Bilbo incredulously, and Fili laughed.

"It's really not far, Bilbo, and you should know by now that we dwarves can run for quite some distance without a break,"

"Oh...I guess I should know that," Bilbo agreed.

"Ok, who's going first?" asked Nori, producing the rope that had let them up.

"Fili, he's the heaviest," Kili said immediately, "it'll need all of us not to drop him,"

"Hey, you're taller," complained Fili.

"So? I'm skinner," shot back Kili.

"So you're wearing bigger, heavier armour," Fili smirked.

"You're still going first," said Kili, taking hold of the other end of the rope.

With an exaggerated sigh Fili gave in, having not really cared about going first anyway but merely retaliated to his brother's small jest. He swung himself nimbly over the wall, placing his foot in the loophole, and holding on tight with both hands until his feet met solid ground once more. After Fili went Kili, and finally Bilbo was lowered to the ground, almost tripping on the rope when he reached the bottom unexpectedly. It was quite difficult to get the hobbit onto Loborel, but was finally managed when Kili mounted first and hauled Bilbo up by his collar. Then, with a few hasty Iglishmêk goodbyes to Ori and Nori, the three were off.

They got back to the camp in good time, and by the intensity of the darkness they guessed it was about three o'clock in the morning. That meant that Bilbo had about half an hour to talk with Gandalf and two hours to get back on foot, in order to run no risk of being caught sneaking back into Erebor. They entered the camp the way they had come in because they knew it wasn't being watched by guards of elves or men, and they tethered Loborel back where they had found her, securing the rope tightly. Then Fili led the way through the camp, having honestly no idea where to find Gandalf but hoping that a light inside a tent might give him a clue. He knew from experience that the wizard rarely slept.

As it turned out, he was right that the wizard would be awake at this time, but it was in unexpected company that they found Gandalf. Listening through the tent door, they could distinctly hear the voices of Bard and the Elvenking. Plucking up all his courage, Bilbo pulled aside the heavy canvas and peered timidly inside.

"Now as I was saying - Bilbo! What a surprise this is!" exclaimed Gandalf, spotting the hobbit just as Fili and Kili slipped away with silent nods to each other. Despite having helped Bilbo reach his destination, they still didn't want to be caught having sneaked out of the camp in the middle of the night, especially not wearing a hoard of recently pillaged armour and weaponry.

"Where do we hide it?" whispered Kili once they were a safe distance away from the tent where the small group talked.

Fili grinned, "I think I might have an idea. Follow me,"

Curious to find out his brother's idea, Kili followed him through the camp until they reached the armoury of the guard, where Fili stopped.

"In here," grinned the older Durin, making sure the coast was clear before entering the tent confidently.

"I think I'm with you now," said Kili, a grin slowly forming on his face, "Fili, you are seriously clever,"

"Only if this works," replied Fili, beginning to strip down his armour, "which it may well not,"

"We'll have to tell Rúthen, that's the only way we'll get away with it," commented Kili, following suit.

"He won't mind, and I don't think he'll tell," said Fili, slipping a pair of newly acquired knives into his boots and finding an empty spot to hang his chainmail, "it's only the guard who come in here anyway. The only person who we have to worry about is Amras,"

"I doubt he'll notice," shrugged Kili, placing his sword carefully behind another elf's bow, which he thought belonged to Gildor; he had grown familiar with the weapon after riding behind the elf all the way here.

"He'd better not," said Fili, "otherwise we could be in trouble with two kings,"

"Like Thranduil doesn't hate us already," Kili rolled his eyes with a chuckle.

"But he hasn't chucked us out yet, that's the main thing," pointed out Fili, stowing away the last of his knives and turning to leave. Kili was with him in a moment, but before they left they turned for a moment and admired their handiwork.

"To the casual observer that just looks like a load of elvish armour and weapons," Kili commented appraisingly.

"You wouldn't know at all from just looking at it," agreed Fili, "come on, let's get a couple of hours sleep, we can ask Gandalf what Bilbo was doing in the morning,"

With a yawn of agreement, Kili followed his brother back to the tent where their bedrolls were laid out just as they'd left them, and snuggled gratefully back into his. They were both asleep in moments.


	30. Chapter 30

_I can't believe this is chapter 30! But I claim no responsibility for the end of this chapter. Actually, most of this chapter. Honestly, it all just happened. I swear these characters have a mind of their own! And I kind of had to cut it off because I haven't written far enough ahead to make it an extra-long chapter, but maybe there will be a surprise update at the weekend if I get inspired to have a writing marathon tomorrow :)_

_Thanks for all the great reviews: **Pucaroo**, **InezSophia**, **jaymzNshed**, **Syblime**, **leggomygreggo2** and **tygrislily**._

_Enjoy the chapter!_

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><p>Early in the morning, trumpets rang out across the camp, waking every living creature within a mile radius, except two. Kili rolled over on his bedroll, caught in the middle of a vivid dream. As he hit his brother, Fili mumbled something incomprehensible about knives and flung out his arm, hitting Kili square in the nose. Still neither brother woke. Gandalf sighed, lifted his staff, and prodded Fili hard.<p>

He certainly did not expect the yell that followed, nor for Fili to be on his feet in less than a moment, one hand holding a knife threateningly and the other cradling his left side where Gandalf's staff had made contact. When the dwarf saw who it was, however, he relaxed.

"Don't do that again," he warned the wizard with a scowl, "that hurt,"

"I'm sorry, I did not realise that it would cause you so much pain," apologised Gandalf profusely, "I did not poke hard,"

"There's a knife under my coat, your staff hit it," stated Fili, turning round to give his brother a gentle kick.

Gandalf's eyebrows ascended. "And why would you have a knife in your coat, master dwarf?"

"There wasn't room in my boots," answered Fili, kicking Kili harder until he rolled over with a grunt and sat up.

Gandalf sighed, too tired to press for further information when there was a more important matter to discuss. Bilbo had accidentally dropped several hints last night that he hadn't been the only one sneaking around in the dark, and now the shadows under both dwarves' eyes confirmed his suspicions. He guessed they would not tell him the truth if he asked straightforwardly, but he could also tell that they were too tired to be immune to a few interrogation tactics.

"I presume you would like to know what Bilbo was doing last night?" he asked with a knowing smile.

At this, Kili sat up straighter and Fili spun round. "What?" asked Kili inquisitively.

Gandalf smirked, "I notice you did not ask why I presumed this, or why indeed I have crossed paths with Bilbo recently,"

Kili looked sheepish, and Fili shot him a half-hearted glare.

"Do not worry, I do not intend to tell anyone else. But I know you were out last night. Might I ask what you were doing?" inquired Gandalf.

With a sigh, Fili replied, "we went to Erebor and talked to Ori and Nori, and Bilbo of course. And since you said there might be war we took a few bits and bobs that we might need. Then Bilbo said he wanted to come back to the camp with us but he didn't say why, he just said he wanted to get out for a bit, so we let him ride back with us,"

"Ride?" asked Gandalf in surprise.

"We took one horse and I ran," explained Fili, "did Bilbo get back safely?"

"As far as I am aware, he did," smiled Gandalf, "and may I ask whose horse you took, and whether anyone knew of your expedition?"

"Legolas knew," answered Kili, "he said we could take his horse,"

"But he promised not to tell anyone," added Fili.

"Then it seems you have a good friend in the Elven prince," remarked Gandalf, "I myself wouldn't have believed it possible if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears. The wood elves are a suspicious folk, as I am sure you have discovered for yourselves,"

"It took a while," said Fili, recalling the first time he had met Legolas and wondering if the elf would still hesitate to let him borrow a sword. He knew that if it came to it now, he would probably trust Legolas with his life.

"Are you going to tell us then?" Kili asked Gandalf hopefully.

"Well, as it seems Bilbo did not tell you himself, then I suppose I will have to. It would be better if you are prepared when we reach the gates,"

"We're going to Erebor?" exclaimed Fili, "today?"

"Well, why do you think the trumpets are blowing our ears off? Of course we are!" chuckled Gandalf, "though I do not know what will come of it,"

"What do you mean?" asked Kili, almost bouncing in anticipation.

"Bilbo has turned out to be quite the burglar, and has kindly acquired for us...the Arkenstone of Thrain," announced the wizard.

"WHAT?" cried Fili, "I thought he was on our side!"

Gandalf frowned, confusedly. "By 'our side' I would like to know what you mean, master Fili. You are an exiled dwarf prince in a camp of elves and men who have just been helped by a hobbit, and any time in the near future we may be attacked by goblins, orcs, wargs, or any number of nasty things. I do not think there are such a thing as sides in our situation. Bilbo did what he thought would benefit everyone the most,"

"He had no right," Fili scowled, "the Arkenstone belongs to Thorin,"

"And part of that treasure hoard belongs to the men," said Gandalf, "do you want to stay here until the winter comes and takes us all? For Thorin has shown no sign of relenting, and Dain is on his way with an army,"

"What are we going to do with it then?" frowned Fili.

"Bard plans to use it to bargain for a share of the gold," Gandalf informed them, "and this time, our dear friend the Elvenking will be coming along too,"

"Uncle Thorin's going to kill Bilbo," remarked Kili, "though if this doesn't work I'm killing him myself,"

"Uncle Thorin's going to kill us all," amended Fili glumly, "he'll blame us for helping him,"

"Not if I can help it," said Gandalf, "but we must set off early, or Bard will leave without us anyway,"

"What's Bard got against lie-ins?" complained Kili, but he got to his feet anyway and straightened out his crumpled coat.

"Should we get our armour?" asked Fili rather hesitantly.

Gandalf's expression darkened. "I do not think you will need it today, though if blood is drawn I do not know where you will stand. I advise you to stay with those you trust, and do not get lost among strangers, for you do not know who may turn on you. Oh, and do not mention the Arkenstone to anyone who doesn't know about it already. It is being kept a secret for security purposes until we reveal it to Thorin,"

The dwarves nodded in understanding, then followed the wizard out of the tent and into the early morning light of the bustling camp, Kili's bow slung over his shoulder and Fili still strapping his twin swords to his back. Despite Gandalf's opinion that armour would not be needed today, they were still in the wild and anything could happen; it was better to have some form of defence.

The first person they ran into was Rúthen, though not by chance. He intercepted them barely two paces from the tent flap, looking slightly anxious.

"Please tell me that the dwarvish armour in the armoury is yours and that my guards haven't been burgling Erebor?" he sighed.

Kili laughed, "yes, it's all ours, though that doesn't make it any less stolen,"

"You weren't given it?" Rúthen raised his eyebrows.

"Don't tell anyone," Fili said hastily, "we went to Erebor last night and talked with a few of our friends, and they didn't have a problem with us taking it, but Thorin wouldn't approve if he knew. Has anyone else found out?" he asked.

"Only Nienna, she found a couple of knives that weren't hers underneath her boots. But she won't tell anyone if I tell her not to," replied Rúthen.

"I told you! I told you," burst out Kili, "you shouldn't have taken so many knives!"

"It doesn't matter, Nienna won't tell anyone," defended Fili, "and no one else is going to find out,"

"Why did I find this dwarvish knife behind my bow?" came Gildor's voice from behind them, and Fili and Kili turned guiltily while Rúthen chuckled at the other elf's timing.

"That's mine, it's a sword, and don't tell," answered Kili, taking the sword from the bemused elf and beginning to fasten it around his waist.

"That's a sword? Rather short," commented Gildor, "and won't your uncle recognise it as not being yours?"

"Durin's beard, he will, won't he?" exclaimed Kili, removing the sword quickly and realising that the elf had already guessed that they hadn't exactly taken it with permission, "is if safe to put it back in the armoury, or will someone else find it?"

"Nienna's already hidden all the knives, whoever's those were," replied Gildor, his eyes flickering automatically to Fili with a smirk, "a sword will be trickier, but we've found space for the chainmail so I think we can find space for this,"

Fili smiled at the ever helpful initiative of the guard, replying, "thank you Gildor, if you could that would help a lot,"

"Consider it done," grinned the elf, taking back the sword from Kili and turning to stride off the way he came.

When the dwarves turned around, Rúthen was also gone.

"What do we do now?" asked Kili, looking to his brother for advice.

"Just what Gandalf told us - stay with people we trust," replied Fili, glancing around to see if he recognised any faces of elves or men bustling past. He didn't, except for a couple of cooks he knew by sight but couldn't put a name to.

"Come on then, let's go find Tauriel. She'll know what's happening," suggested Kili brightly.

Fili raised his eyebrows a little with a knowing smirk, but responded, "alright, if you want to. No point just standing here,"

They headed over to where the horses were kept, after Kili had a whim that Tauriel would be there. He turned out to be correct, and they found the elf-maiden gently brushing the mane of a chestnut coloured horse with cream splotches along it's neck. Noticing them even before they noticed her, she called to the brothers with a smile.

"Gandalf's told you then?" she asked when they approached her, "the Arkenstone?

"How do you know about that? I thought it was meant to be kept a secret," frowned Fili.

"Legolas told me, and he heard it from his father. And everyone knows anyway," she shrugged, "news spreads fast in a camp as compact as this,"

"So much for Gandalf's security, then," Fili rolled his eyes, "though I doubt anyone would steal it anyway. Even touching it is practically a death sentence for anyone not King Under the Mountain,"

"Let us hope that does not prove true," said Tauriel worriedly, "I'd hate to think what would happen if a war broke out between our kingdoms,"

"What about Dain?" said Kili, "he's on his way with an army; if war's going to break out, that's when it's going to happen,"

"Perhaps all will be resolved by then," said Tauriel hopefully, "but if not, where will you stand? You will have to choose one side or become the target of both,"

"I...I don't know," said Kili fearfully, looking to Fili, who looked just as lost.

Taking sympathy on them, Tauriel said with a sad smile, "Gandalf will probably know, or have sorted it out by then. Hopefully you will not have to make that choice at all,"

Suddenly remembering the reason they were there, Fili asked, "do you have any idea what we're meant to be doing right now? Gandalf just told us to stay near people we know,"

"We're gathering on the northern edge of the camp right now," answered Tauriel, "who are you riding with?"

"Well, I was kind of assuming Gildor and Golradir," answered Fili, "but I guess we'll see when we get there,"

"Ok then, let's go," smiled Tauriel, and she took the reins of her horse and began to navigate through the camp, Fili and Kili at her heels.

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><p>When they got to the group gathered to the north of the camp, it seemed they were some of the last to arrive, with at least a hundred men and elves waiting there already. They made their way to the front, spotting Rúthen and a few Elven guards flanking Legolas, Thranduil and Bard, all mounted on horses.<p>

It was only when they got there, however, that they noticed Gildor and Golradir were not among their ranks. As Rúthen looked down, Fili asked him where their usual riding partners were.

"They're not coming this time, they're guarding the camp," replied the captain, "we can't afford to leave the camp unprotected when there might be orcs in these lands,"

The dwarves shared a look, wondering what they were going to do. Their question was answered in a moment, however, when Rúthen spoke again.

"One of you can ride with me, but the horse won't take three of us,"

Tauriel spoke up at this. "I can take the other, though it will have to be the lighter. Old Faervel here used to be the strongest horse in the forest, but sadly she is getting tired and cannot carry so much any more,"

"Are you sure...?" Rúthen said hesitantly.

Tauriel just nodded confidently, asking the dwarves, "which one of you is the lighter?"

They looked at each other, and they seemed to be waging war with their eyes alone. The elves watched in disbelief and amusement as the dwarves' expressions wordlessly changed. It was impossible to tell who was winning, or indeed what they were even trying to gain.

"You're skinnier," shrugged Fili eventually, and Kili grinned.

"Ok then, on you get," said Rúthen, offering Fili a hand to get on the shiny dark horse he was riding.

Meanwhile, Kili approached Tauriel's horse with a spring in his step, though he stopped suddenly when he reached it, as if unsure. A smile from the already seated elf was all it needed to bring his grin back, however.

"Do you want a hand?" Tauriel asked when Kili found it hard to reach the stirrup with his foot.

"Um...yes, please," Kili relented, taking the elf's outstretched hand gently and getting a surprise when she grasped his firmly and hauled him up with ease so that he sat behind her on the horse.

"Ready?" Tauriel turned to Rúthen, who nodded, and together they moved their horses forward until they were closer to the King and his son.

Barely a moment later, Bard turned and gave an order, then trumpets sounded, and as if it were one body of mass the host of soldiers moved forward into the wilderness between Dale and Erebor.

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><p>Under the mountain, Bilbo Baggins was waiting with more nerves than he remembered having just before he went to confront the dragon, Smaug. He paced and he jiggled his knees, and he knew that all the dwarves around him could see that he was nervous, and not knowing the reason they were sure to be suspicious, but that only made him more nervous which made his knees jiggle more and his fingers drum so much that he annoyed even himself. The only ones who had any inkling of what might be going on were Nori and Ori, and it made them worried too. If Bilbo's dealings with men and elves made him this nervous, there was a probability that outcome of such events could turn nasty and they didn't like that idea at all.<p>

Finally, the time of waiting was over and Dwalin came hurrying in with the news that a messanger had been seen riding fast towards them. Bilbo leapt to his feet just as Thorin strode out of the front gate to peer over the wall at the newcomer.

"Hail, Thorin!" cried the man, "my lord Bard seeks an audience, as new tidings have arisen and he wishes to discuss a new deal,"

"That will be Dain," muttered Dwalin at his king's side.

Thorin nodded discreetly at his friend's words, then answered the messanger, "bid him come unarmed and with few at his side. Then I will hear,"

The messanger gave a nod, then turned and rode off the way he came. Bilbo had a sinking feeling about all this, because he knew what a nasty shock was coming for the rest of the dwarves. Not for the first time, he felt guilty for Fili and Kili, since they would undoubtedly be blamed for allowing him to take the Arkenstone, and once again siding with their 'enemies'. But another part of him told him that if Gandalf said he had done the right thing then there was no alternative that he could have chosen.

Not long after, a group of about twenty elves and men rode towards the gate, banners of the Lake and the Forest held high. When they dismounted, Bilbo suddenly saw two shorter figures among them, undoubtedly Fili and Kili. He gulped. He had rather been hoping they would not be among those who came to bargain with the Arkenstone.

"Hail Thorin!" called Bard as soon as they were within earshot, "have you thought more wisely upon our last meeting?"

"The Elven host have not departed as I bade. Until then I will think on nothing," replied Thorin coldly.

"So it seems," remarked Bard, unfazed, "is there nothing that will change your mind?"

"Nothing that you have to offer," retorted Thorin.

"What of the Arkenstone of Thrain?" called Bard, and Bilbo saw a cloaked figure - whom he recognised immediately as Gandalf, but only because he had seen the wizard the night before - step forward and throw open a casket, holding the bright jewel aloft in his fingertips.

There was a collective gasp from the dwarves, and Thorin's eyebrows descended until they seemed to be one, though Bilbo could see the scowl was only there to mask the amazement and confusion that the dwarven king actually felt. Silence stretched on.

Finally, Thorin spoke, dangerous anger just below the surface of his measured tone. "That stone was my father's and it is mine. Why should I purchase my own? But - how came you by the heirloom of my house - if there is need to ask such a question of thieves?"

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><p>Fili watched his uncle with a mixture of anger and fear. The King Under the Mountain was livid - even if Bard couldn't tell, Fili definitely could, and out of the corner of his eye he could see that Kili did too. Thorin's anger was barely contained, the rage and the possessiveness dancing wickedly in his cold blue eyes, and it chilled both dwarves to the bone. Fili saw his brother take a tentative step closer to Tauriel, and hoped that his uncle didn't notice the action.<p>

He had found himself with mixed feelings about Kili sharing a horse with the Elven maiden, when they had suddenly found themselves without riding partners. He could see how close the two were getting, and to tell the truth it made him feel a little uncomfortable, not because of his own views but because of everyone around them. The dragon was gone, and Erebor reclaimed, and if everything was resolved soon then most likely they would be once more under the protective scrutiny of their uncle. If Thorin found out that Kili had such deep feelings for an elf, the youngest Durin could even be thrown out of Erebor for good. Fili did not want that to happen, but on the other hand, he could see how happy Kili was when he was around Tauriel, and could not bear to confront his brother and take this newfound happiness away from him. After all they had been through, didn't he deserve every joy he could find? And he knew that Tauriel would protect Kili to the end; really, that was all Fili could ask for, and if it was an elf who fulfilled that criteria, then who was he to complain? So he had given in to Kili's hopeful gaze, knowing that though it seemed a small thing, it signified something greater between the two brothers. An acceptance, an understanding, and a granting of permission of sorts.

Anyway, Fili would have felt awkward riding behind a she-elf.

But Thorin did not seem to have eyes for his nephews at all. His entire being seemed focused on the Arkenstone before him, lighting up the old wizard's face with an ethereal light of its own. Fili longed to smash it into a million pieces for what it was doing to his uncle, but at the same time, for some inexplicable reason, he wanted to touch it, to hold it, to have it for his own. It was the first time he had seen the gem, and in his eyes all the descriptions fell completely short of the reality.

It was perfection itself.

It was a curse.

It was the heart of the mountain.

It was turning the heart of Thorin to stone, as cold and distant as the light from the Arkenstone itself.

If Thorin got the Arkenstone back, the only way it could end was badly.

But would Thorin listen to Bilbo at all? Would he pick up why the hobbit had taken that particular stone? Would he realise how plain it was for everyone else to see that the damned jewel had opened up a floodgate in his mind and was letting his sanity flow away in a torrent of doom? If not, who would he listen to? Who was most likely to convince him to throw it away, to put it out of sight, out of reach, out of mind?

Fili's first answer was Dis, his mother, Thorin's sister. She would surely knock some sense into her brother's thick skull, probably with a hammer. But she was all the way in the west, back home in Ered Luin.

If not his mother, then whom?

Dimly, Fili registered that Bard was speaking. Then Thorin was shouting, but it still did not drown out the pounding of blood in his own ears. Then he heard a loud voice - no, two voices, and one of them was his own - saying the same thing.

"I took it."


	31. Chapter 31

_Ok, so no surprise weekend update. Sorry guys :( In my defence, I did say maybe. It just so happened that a combination of events occupied my whole Sunday and I got no time to write, let alone post. But anyway, here it is now :)_

_Shout outs for reviews go to: **InezSophia**, **leggomygreggo2**, **LouphiaTheHobbit**, **Whitepurity**, **fixusi**, **jaymzNshed**, __**Syblime**__, **FanOfRandomThings**, **tygrislily** and **GregsMadHatter**. I love hearing your encouragement and theories about what's going to happen next! Here are your answers!_

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><p>As the pounding in his ears receded, Fili realised that everyone had fallen silent. Eyes flickered nervously between him and Thorin up on the high wall above them - no, they weren't looking at Thorin, they were looking at the smaller figure cowering beside him, who had just spoken. Bilbo.<p>

Fili internally cursed himself. What had he been thinking? At least half the people present knew that he hadn't stolen the Arkenstone. How had he imagined he would get away with it? His eyes met Bilbo's, and he saw that the hobbit looked startled, like a rabbit the moment before the arrow enters it's skull. He forced his own gaze to be steady and confident, the opposite of what he felt, because he knew there was no going back now. He would make his point or be dishonoured.

Slowly, he felt his uncle's icy eyes fall on him, and forced himself to meet them with his own. For some reason he was aware of Kili gaping behind him - wait, when had Kili been behind him? Oh yes, he remembered stepping forward now.

"I - I don't believe it," growled Thorin, "I have been betrayed by my own kin,"

"No - no, there's been a mistake!" squeaked Bilbo, petrified, "I stole the Arkenstone by myself, Fili had nothing to do with it!"

"Quiet, you descendent of rats!" boomed the King, causing poor Bilbo to squeak in fright, "you...I would wring your miserable little neck where you stand if I did not believe there was more information to be had from you,"

That silenced Bilbo.

"Fili - tell me the meaning of this," Thorin narrowed his eyes towards his nephew, and Fili desperately wanted to step back and pretend he had never said anything, but he had got himself into this now and he would see it through.

"The meaning is this," he answered back boldly, "is that you are not yourself. That damned stone and all that Valar-foresaken gold is driving you mad. You no longer recognise what you stand for. It would be better to give it freely, for even half the amount of gold in those chambers is enough to rebuild the kingdom and see it into a long age of prosperity. There is no harm in giving some to those who could also put it to good use, rather than hoarding it up like a dragon and becoming obsessed with it until you die of the sickness, like Thror did,"

"You are insolent, and completely ignorant of the world. You do not understand the value of that jewel,"

"No, all I understand is that it is taking over your mind. It's not hard to see," Fili deadpanned.

"I see the significance of the Arkenstone is lost on you," Thorin said in a low voice, "you bring dishonour to the dwarvish race,"

"No more than you do. You're making a splendid figure as King Under the Mountain," retorted Fili sarcastically.

"I have no need for the friendship of Elves, Men...or Hobbits," sneered Thorin, "tell me, what does Gandalf's burglar have to do with this?"

"He doesn't -" began Fili.

"I took the Arkenstone, and I gave it to Bard," squeaked Bilbo, "it was all my idea, don't blame Fili!"

"No, I told him to take the Arkenstone to Bard when Mr Baggins said he was coming back with us," said Fili, giving the hobbit a hard stare in the hope that he might get the message, "it was all my idea,"

Kili stared at his brother in amazement, leaning forward to whisper in his ear. "And you call me the reckless one?"

Fili gave the tiniest of shrugs. "Someone has to do something," he murmured back.

Thorin turned to the other dwarves, his hard eyes lingering on each of their faces as if scanning for treachery. "Who was on watch last night? Bombur?"

Bombur shook his head quickly in denial, before glancing unintentionally at Nori. Noticing this, Nori rolled his eyes at his friend. But it was better to own up himself than to let his brother get into trouble, as was sure to happen if there was any further investigation. He wasn't accustomed to owning up to crimes, since it was usually in his best interest not to, but if it was necessary to protect Ori then he would do it without hesitation.

"It was me," he sighed, "I took Bombur's watch, because I couldn't sleep. But I must have dozed off, because I didn't see Fili and Kili come, or the hobbit leave,"

Thorin's eyes narrowed in disapproval. "You know this cannot go unpunished, Nori. I trusted each and every one of you -"

"Then why won't you listen to Fili?" piped up Ori unexpectedly, an unusual defiance showing in his expression, "he only wants what's best for you,"

"You are not part of this, Ori," said Dori sternly to his brother, "leave the matter to our King,"

"I am part of this," Ori argued, "and our King can't see what's wrong with him,"

"Ori," began Nori warningly, but the youngest Ri brother was determined.

"I was on watch last night," he spoke up, "before Bombur was meant to be, and I saw Fili and Kili enter. I let them take the Arkenstone, and I let Bilbo go with them, because we can all see what the Arkenstone is doing to you, Thorin. You're obsessed with it, and treasure is all you want any more. That's not the King we want to rule Erebor,"

Dori looked mortified. Nori looked exasperated but proud. Fili and Kili stared in amazement from the ground below, not having expected Nori to side with them, let alone Ori.

"Then I am surrounded by traitors," growled Thorin, then he raised his voice to the rest of the company, "by the beard of Durin, I demand any of you who also wish to go against me and join these traitors in exile to step forward now,"

There was a silence among the dwarves. Then, slowly and reluctantly, Dori moved forward and stood beside Ori and Nori.

"I will go with my brothers. You are not yourself, Thorin, and I hope that this might make you see that,"

Thorin merely twitched his eyebrows.

"I agree," spoke up Bofur, "you shouldn't have kicked out Fili and Kili, Thorin. They didn't deserve it, and even if the Elves don't have claim to any gold, I daresay the men do, after all they've lost," He said it solemnly, with no hint of the easy smile that so often frequented his face.

"I'm with my brother," said Bombur, "if I had done the watch I was meant to, I would have let them take the Arkenstone as well, if it drums some sense into your head,"

Bifur muttered something unintelligible and apologetic, before moving to join his cousins. It was clear he was reluctant, but his devotion to his own family ran deeper than his devotion to a mad king. Had Thorin been in his right mind, it might have been different...but probably not.

That left Oin, Gloin, Balin and Dwalin. Thorin turned his livid expression on them.

"Anyone else?"

"I'm going nowhere," declared Balin stoutly, though he looked as if he was trying to hide his irritation, "someone has to make sure you don't drown yourself in gold,"

Thorin was about to turn away, but then he did a double take. Had Balin intentionally used the phrasing from Kili's letter that Bilbo had brought to them back in Lake Town? One glance at the expression on his friend's face, and Thorin knew that yes, Balin remembered full well what Kili had jokingly warned his uncle against in that letter. But at least he wasn't a traitor like the others. Narrowing his eyes fractionally, he turned to Oin and Gloin. He didn't need to ask Dwalin about his loyalty. He hadn't really needed to ask Balin either, but then again, he shouldn't really have had to question any of his company about their duty.

"Whatever goes on up here, I'm not mixing with those elves no matter what they say about friendship," Gloin puffed out his chest indignantly, "flimsy little sprites, the lot of them. Don't believe a word they say,"

That almost brought a smile to Thorin's lips - almost. But smiles were a rarity where the King Under the Mountain was concerned. Ever since the dragon - no, even before the dragon, Thorin had understood that for every joy there was an even greater sorrow. He admired the likes of Bofur, who could always seem to see the good in everything, but for the likes of himself it was always the sorrows that overshadowed the joys.

And right now there was not much to be happy about. He turned to Bilbo, the mere sight of the hobbit bringing his fury back to him instantly.

"Look what you have done, you miserable hobbit, you...you...burglar!" he spat, "curse Gandalf for his choice of you! Get out of my sight before I throw you to the rocks, all of you!" he addressed the six dwarves who had chosen to leave, and Gloin reluctantly brought out a rope ladder which he threw over the edge for the others to descend by.

"I wish that Gandalf were here," muttered Thorin, "may his beard wither,"

"Your wish is granted," came a voice from below, as the figure with the Arkenstone drew back his hood wearily and regarded Thorin with exasperation, "you have done well, O King Under the Mountain, at making every wrong choice you have been offered ever since you set foot in that kingdom. May I suggest inviting your friends back to join you and discussing this a bit more considerately?"

Dori, the last and the most reluctant to descend the ladder, stopped with his foot on the last rung, looking up at his King with hope.

But it was ill-founded. Thorin's expression remained stony as he answered, "I have no need of your alliance, when Dain is so close at hand. You will be sorry you ever opposed me,"

"But my dear Thorin, when have we ever opposed you?" queried Gandalf, "all we have done is asked politely for a share of the gold, which clearly you have too much of,"

"Oh, you will get your gold," scowled Thorin, "and no friendship of mine goes with it. One fourteenth, and may it count for the hobbit's share that he was promised, for he was the one to take the Arkenstone,"

"What about us?" whispered Kili in his brother's ear, "does that mean we still get our shares?"

"We had a different contract, remember?" Fili hissed, "and now we're disinherited we have no claim to it any more,"

Kili scoffed, "Who's it going to go to then? I'd like to know who's the next in line with you and me out of the way,"

Fili made a noise of agreement, but he quickly turned his attention back to his uncle as Bard spoke again.

"When can we expect payment, O Thorin King?"

"That can be arranged to follow after, once it has been calculated," snapped Thorin, "these things take time,"

"Very well. Until then, we keep the Arkenstone," replied Bard, signalling for Gandalf to close the box. He did so, and the eerie light of the jewel vanished, "we will return again at noon tomorrow,"

"Be off with you!" cried Thorin, and with a gesture from the Elvenking, who had stayed stonily silent and regarded Thorin with cold dislike throughout the whole series of events, the group of twenty two - recently become twenty nine - turned and retreated back towards the horizon where their horses awaited along with the rest of the guards who had come along.

As they walked, Bilbo was the first to come hurrying to Fili's side, eyes wide with the sustained shock of recent events.

"Fili...I cannot begin to thank you enough..."

"No thanks needed, Mr Baggins," Fili assured him, though his eyes were trained straight ahead and he did not turn to look at the hobbit.

"No no, I must find some way to thank you," insisted Bilbo, "I was sure Thorin was going to strangle me...or throw me to the rocks...or something,"

"I almost felt like strangling you myself when I heard what you did," said Fili, "but I see that it has gained the desired effect - Thorin has promised the gold,"

"If he ever follows through with that," Kili added in, appearing on the other side of Bilbo. Fili noticed with a surprise that a certain elf-maiden was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Tauriel gone?" he asked.

"Helping Legolas. Apparently Thranduil's not warming to the idea of suddenly having eight dwarves in the camp instead of just two," Kili grinned.

Fili couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Aye, and I'm not sure if Dori's going to be best pleased being around elves,"

"And I wonder how long it will be before one of them catches Nori," came Bofur's voice from behind them, and they turned to see both Bofur and Bifur in their wake. They split apart so that the cousins could walk beside them.

"Elves have sharp ears," commented Bilbo.

"Exactly. Won't stop Nori though. I wonder how long it'll take them to figure out where all their knives are going," Bofur grinned crookedly.

"Where's Bombur?" questioned Kili, noticing that Bofur's rotund ginger brother wasn't in sight - which was unusual, since he wasn't hard to spot.

"Looking for someone to tell him the menu," replied Bofur, rolling his eyes, "where did you think?"

"He won't find anyone around here, these are all guards," said Fili, "he'd be better off waiting until we get back to camp,"

"As if that's going to stop him," commented Kili, and Bofur nodded in agreement.

Just then, a shout came up from quite near them, and all heads turned to the sound. Then they heard a voice they recognised.

"I tripped! I swear, I just tripped on your stupid gangly legs!"

All four dwarves shared a look. Trust Nori to get himself into trouble so soon.

Taking the lead, Fili started pushing past elves and men in the direction of their friend's voice. It was no time before he stumbled across the scene of disturbance, and his heart sank. Of all the elves and men to get caught pickpocketing, Nori had to choose Amras?

"Your highness, this dirty sneaking dwarf thief here was attempting to steal my knives," the elf was saying, and Fili frowned at the smug look on his face. Nori was still trying to feign innocence.

"This is an outrage," came the cold voice of Thranduil. Fili's heart sank further. No, the Valar certainly did not seem to be granting them luck today.

"Just because they have been banished from Erebor does not mean they are welcome in our camp," came Bard's voice, as he too arrived on the scene.

Nori spotted Fili, Kili, Bifur, Bofur and Bilbo, then turned away with a guilty look on his face.

Suddenly Ori was there, stepping up bravely beside his brother. "My deepest apologies, your majesty," he spoke to the Elvenking, "my brother has a rather unfortunate habit when it comes to other people's belongings, however I can assure you it will not happen again. I and my other brother will enforce that,"

"Aye, that I will," Dori appeared out of nowhere, scowling at his errant brother in harsh disapproval.

Thranduil and Bard, and also Gandalf who had somehow appeared on the scene, examined Dori for a few moments, then almost imperceptibly the Elvenking nodded in approval. Fili noticed Amras lose his smugness abruptly, his expression replaced by a scowl.

"I believe that he will," Thranduil said, causing both Bard and Gandalf to stare at him in surprise. He raised his eyebrows at them, "I find that dwarves always keep a close eye on their brothers,"

Unexpectedly, Gandalf beamed at him. "My dear Elvenking, I do believe you have learned something!"

That brought a scowl to Thranduil's face, though it drew a lighthearted laugh from Bard.

"So be it then," said the descendant of Girion, "the dwarves shall stay in the camp, provided they swear to keep each other out of trouble. If there is another instance of this, they must leave immediately, all of them," he directed a pointed look at Fili and Kili.

"And the hobbit shall be staying too, of course," said Gandalf brightly.

"Ah yes, the hobbit to whom we owe this whole turn of events," remarked the Elvenking, "or...not quite all of it," he turned to Fili with a frown, "tell me, who actually brought us the Arkenstone?"

"Bilbo did," Fili replied honestly, "it was all Bilbo's idea, Kili and I didn't even know he had it until Gandalf told us this morning,"

"Then why did you own up to it, when you knew you would get the blame?" asked Bard, frowning.

"I thought Thorin would listen more if it was I who told him - no offence, Bilbo,"

"None taken at all!" the hobbit shook his head frantically.

"And it worked, did it not?" Kili pointed out.

"Better than anything so far, at any rate," admitted Bard, "you have my full gratitude, Fili. And you, Bilbo, though you already know that since I told you last night,"

"Then should we not get going again?" suggested Gandalf, "our horses await us,"

With a dismissive gesture from Thranduil, the scene scattered and Fili and Kili found themselves separated from Bilbo, Bofur and Bifur but in the company of Ori, Nori and Dori, the latter of whom had just launched into a full-out lecture. Fili would have liked to apologise for all the trouble he had caused them with his false confession, but Kili was pulling on his sleeve to get them away from Dori before the old dwarf could snag them into his tirade too. As guilty as he felt to leave Ori and Nori to the mercy of their brother, he knew they had plenty enough experience to worm their way out of it in no time anyway.

He allowed Kili to lead him through the crowd, which had now merged with the much larger group left behind, until they found the group of guard they were looking for, Rúthen in the lead with his coal black stallion. Seeing Fili, the captain of the guard extended a hand to help him up, and nearby Tauriel did the same with Kili. Once they were all sitting comfortably, they moved around to the front of the group again, next to Legolas. The Elven prince smiled as he saw them draw up alongside him, and though he raised his eyebrows a little to see Kili riding behind Tauriel again, he made no objection. Fili wondered if he had gone through the same thought process as he had - Legolas saw Tauriel as almost a sister, after all.

An incredulous voice came from behind them: "You don't expect me to get up there?!"

They turned to see Bombur, who had reunited with Bofur and Bifur and was being told their means of travel by a worried-looking man.

"Just do it Bombur, it's quite safe!" called Kili encouragingly.

"Come on Bombur, we'll give you a leg-up," smiled Bofur, kneeling down ready.

"The horse isn't going to move until you're safely on it, I promise," said the man wearily, holding the reins of the obedient horse - while standing on the ground, not sitting on the horse, Fili noticed. He could see why; once Bombur was in the saddle, there wouldn't be room for another person, no matter how skinny. They would have to lead the horse from atop another steed to keep the pace.

With a determined expression, Bombur took a couple of steps back, then leapt forward with surprising energy, stepping first on Bofur's knee, then with his foot in the stirrup, then somehow swinging his leg over the back of the horse to land squarely in the saddle. A round of applause rose from the men around who had been watching, and Bofur rose from the ground to join in wholeheartedly.

It took half that time to get him and Bifur seated behind another two men, and a moment later four horses approached them bearing three men and Gandalf, the three Ri brothers seated behind the men and Bilbo seated behind the wizard. Admittedly, Dori sat rather stiffly, as if on high alert, but otherwise they were comfortable. A trumpet call went up through the ranks and the horses jolted into movement.

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><p>They returned to the camp at midday, and the cooks brought out food to hand around, much to Bombur's delight. While they ate, the dwarves sat in a circle and began to exchange stories. Bofur told of their stay in Laketown, and how he had almost missed the boat leaving it because he had been drunk from the night before, and Ori (with many corrections from Nori and Dori) told of how Bilbo had faced the dragon alone and riddled with it, until it guessed that they had come from Laketown and flew away to deliver vengeance. Then Bilbo himself told of their brief stay in Ravenhill, because they were unsure if the dragon would return and would rather not be there when it did, and Bombur finished it off by saying, "and you know the rest from there because that's when you arrived,"<p>

After that, of course, Fili and Kili were begged for their story, right from the spiders in Mirkwood to the camp in the ruins of Dale. Ori, Nori and Bilbo had heard part of it, but they were still eager for more detail. Just as Fili began, however, Legolas appeared.

"Mind if I join you? Father's being stubborn and I think Gandalf is doing a fine job on his own,"

"What about?" asked Kili curiously.

Legolas rolled his eyes, "he wants jewels to be part of the treasure - more specifically, the emeralds of Girion, which for one, Thorin might not even give as part of the deal, and two, they would belong to Bard since he's Girion's descendant,"

"Ah," Kili made a sympathetic face and scooted over to make room for the elf in the circle. Some of the other dwarves looked a little uncomfortable as the elf sat down, but no one objected.

"We're telling everyone what's happened since we were all separated," Fili filled him in.

"Great, I can provide an unbiased view of events then," grinned Legolas, and Fili rolled his eyes before continuing with the story.


	32. Chapter 32

_Finally, the last hurdle is in sight! Probably not very many chapters left of this story now :( but then again, I never expected it to be this long in the first place. I started writing it while "revising" for my mock GCSEs. Well, now I've got to start revising for my real GCSEs! Time flies, doesn't it? The next chapter will probably be a long one, but to be honest I can never tell so don't hold me to that._

_Thank you to all the lovely people who reviewed: **leggomygreggo2**, **InezSophia**, **Syblime**, **jaymzNshed**, **GregsMadHatter** and **fixusi**. May I also thank everyone who is following or has favourited this fic, I really don't give you enough credit and I probably won't remember to again, so a huge thank you because I appreciate every little email that drops into my junk folder :)_

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><p>Evening came, and miraculously Nori hadn't been caught stealing a single object since the incident with Amras's knife. A storage tent was cleared for all the dwarves to sleep in - plus Bilbo - and they spent an undisturbed night surrounded by snores. In fact, Kili couldn't sleep at first because he had become so unused to the regular cacophony of the company after sharing a room with just Fili, but in the end he drifted off to into an easy sleep anyway.<p>

They were all still fast asleep when Rúthen peeked into their tent early in the morning with the orders from Gandalf to wake them by whatever means necessary. Immediately he could tell that shouting at them would be no use whatsoever because if they could sleep with this amount of snoring they clearly wouldn't be woken by loud noises. Instead, he moved over to the hobbit and shook him gently.

Bilbo opened one bleary eye and regarded the elf grumpily for having woken him.

"Sorry, Bilbo," Rúthen apologised, "there's important news and I need to wake everyone up. How do you normally do it?"

Bilbo sat up slowly and stretched before answering with a yawn, "kick them hard, that should do the trick,"

Slightly wary of the results this might have, Rúthen approached Fili, who would probably greet him with the least hostile response of all the dwarves, then thought better of it and turned to Kili, who would have fewer knives hidden in his coat. He gave him a light kick in the back.

With a groan, Kili rolled over and the captain of the guard had to hop out of the way to avoid being tripped up. After a moment, the dwarf opened his eyes.

"What're you doing here?"

"Urgent news. Get everyone else up then I'll tell you,"

Kili groaned again, but answered, "'kay," before getting to his feet and working his way round the floor, kicking his friends as he went. By the time he came to the last one, the first (who had been Fili) was sitting up and asking the meaning of yet another early morning.

"It's Dain," explained Rúthen once they were all alert enough to listen, "he's been spotted coming round the eastern spur of the mountain. He'll be here before the whole camp's awake,"

The dwarves were on their feet in moments.

"What's Bard's plan?" asked Fili.

"Not to let them get to the mountain," answered Rúthen, "he thinks that once Erebor is crawling with warriors then the chance to get the gold is gone; Thorin won't hand it over,"

"He's probably right," agreed Kili, "so here's the plan: we go with whoever's meeting Dain, we talk to him and explain everything before he gets to Thorin, and maybe we can bring him round to our side,"

"They've been communicating with ravens," pointed out Dori, "it's too late to stop them conversing now,"

"But we can still go and talk to him," Fili stated, "Dain's more likely to listen to us than to elves or men,"

"You're certainly right there," agreed Bofur, "I say we do it,"

A murmur of consent went round the group.

"I suggest you do not go defenceless," advised Rúthen, moving towards the tent flap to leave them in peace, "you can be sure everyone else will be carrying weapons,"

Fili shared a look with Kili, then without a word to anyone they both followed Rúthen straight out of the tent.

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><p>Before the last of the dwarves had left the tent, Fili and Kili were back sporting their full war gear. They had run to the armoury, finding it occupied by only Gildor, Golradir and Lenwë, and flung on every bit of armour they had taken from Erebor until they were armed to the teeth. When they returned to find their friends, they too had been busy arming themselves, and it was a rather fearsome Dori who greeted them, sword already in hand. It took Kili a moment to figure out why he found that strange; then he remembered.<p>

"They gave you your weapons back!"

"Aye, and about time too," grumbled Dori, who had been in an even worse temper than usual since his exile, "I'd like to know the last time they thought to polish this sword, it looks as though it's been neglected for weeks,"

Kili shrugged, "probably because it has. They were going to leave them all locked away in Mirkwood, but the guard...um...well, I suppose they smuggled them here. There was no order, anyway. You've got Rúthen to thank for that, and probably Tauriel and Legolas too,"

A moment later, Nori emerged from the tent, hopping a little as he tied his bootlace. On spotting Fili, he stretched his arms and gave an exaggerated yawn, which caused his coat to flap open to display an extended array of wicked looking knives. It appeared he had added his newly returned knives to his collection acquired in Erebor.

Kili smirked. Fili's collection still beat it; in fact, having run out of room on his own person, Fili had gained the use of the pockets on Kili's back which Kili himself could not reach and had no use for. Since they were scarcely parted anyway, he had no objection to becoming his brother's personal, walking, talking sheath.

"Ah, all up I see," came Gandalf's voice from behind them. They turned to see the wizard leaning pensively on his staff.

"Gandalf!" cried Bilbo, "they say Dain is coming, with a huge army!"

The wizard smiled fondly at the hobbit, replying, "so I have heard. I suggest you wear your mithril armour, Bilbo, for I fear peace will be hard won between these folks,"

"We plan to go and talk to Dain ourselves," said Fili, "we may be able to bring him round. After all, there are more of us here than in Erebor now,"

"An excellent plan - the best I have heard so far, anyway," complimented Gandalf, "Thranduil and Bard are making ridiculous assumptions that Dain will attack as soon as he arrives, which I have told them is far from true; he may be unfriendly, but he will certainly not risk his dwarves if he can get by with persuasion. Their true destination is Erebor, not a battlefield,"

"We shouldn't let them get there before the exchange of the Arkenstone for the treasure," said Kili firmly.

"I agree," said Fili, "and we should set off as soon as possible. Knowing Bard, he's probably already leaving by now,"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Kili exclaimed, not waiting for any of the others before jogging away in the direction where Bard and his men presumably stood, to the East of the camp. He didn't need to look to know that Fili was following, and he could also hear the others a bit further behind, Bilbo and Gandalf bringing up the rear.

The group that Kili saw as he approached was not as big as he had expected it to be; there were four men with Bard, then Thranduil with Legolas, Rúthen, Amras and Tauriel. He smiled to himself, loving how Tauriel always managed to get herself included in these small groups even though she wasn't strictly meant to be. It irked him slightly that Amras was there, after what had happened with Nori, but the snide elf was second in command whether anyone liked it or not, and that did give him some authority.

Then Kili noticed the rest: every one of Mirkwood and Laketown's warriors was milling around just behind the borders of the camp, hidden to the unsuspecting eye but ready to fight at a moment's notice. His heart sank. Just because he was wearing armour didn't mean he wasn't hoping with all his might for a peaceful resolution. His worst fear was what would happen for him if it came to a choice between Fili or Tauriel. His brother, or the elf who - ok, let's face it - he loved. There was no question about it: he would choose Fili, because that was how they did things and it was no less than he would expect from his brother were their positions reversed. But to betray Tauriel - no, all these of elves whom he had come to regard as friends, but Tauriel most of all - would be agonising for him no matter what he told himself to the contrary.

His brother's raised voice penetrated through his web of thoughts: "I hope we have not missed anything important?"

"No, no, you are just in time," Bard reassured him as they joined the gathering.

"I was wondering if you have a plan yet?" Fili asked.

"Only to keep Dain and his men away from Erebor until the gold is handed over," shrugged Legolas, "though how we're going to keep away five hundred armed warriors without a battle is a mystery to me,"

"Not if we do the talking," Fili said, a hint of a smirk beginning on his lips, "Dain's far more likely to listen to us than to you, to put it simply. We think we might be able to bring him round to our side,"

"That's a rather optimistic goal," commented Tauriel, and Kili found himself admiring the way her long, wavy hair flowed down her shoulders in a fiery cascade. It was so unlike dwarvish hair, so soft and fluid and silky, and every time he saw it he just wanted to run his fingers through it for hours. As he stared, the elf maiden suddenly turned her head and smiled at him, that smile that seemed to radiate beams of light and brighten Kili's very soul, and he smiled back before remembering that there was an important discussion going on which he should be participating in.

"There are more of us down here than up there," he pointed out without turning his gaze from Tauriel, "with all of us, we should at least be able to delay Dain until the exchange can be made,"

As if to prove his point, it was at this moment that Bofur, Bombur and Bifur arrived at the scene. The first two approached the elves and men easily, joining the group between Fili and one of Bard's men, but Bifur hung back slightly, a mistrustful look in his eye as he watched the Elvenking from a safe distance. Kili sighed. It deeply annoyed him how narrow minded every other dwarf seemed to be about elves...but then again, he had been a bit like that before the spiders - only a bit, mind. He hadn't been alive at the time Thranduil had refused aid in the aftermath of the dragon, so he had no personal grudge to overcome, unlike Bifur. He supposed he could understand the hesitation a little.

The Elvenking seemed to consider his words for a moment, and Kili was sure he would say no. As if Thranduil would trust dwarves to speak on his behalf? The Elvenking, however, nodded pensively. "If you are willing, then I would be grateful. Long will I tarry, ere I begin this war for gold,"

Bard looked a little surprised for a moment, but made a noise of agreement, just as a runner came sprinting towards them.

"Hail Bard, the dwarves are nearly upon us! A small number are approaching to parley!"

"Now is your chance. Go to Dain and speak on our behalf, and may you be successful," ordered Bard solemnly.

The dwarves turned, then Bofur said with a frown, "where are the others? They were right behind us on the way here,"

Kili glanced around, and saw that Dori, Nori, Ori, Bilbo and Gandalf were indeed nowhere to be seen.

"They must have been held up," he assumed with a shrug.

"We can't leave without them, we've got a much higher chance of holding up Dain if there are more of us," frowned Fili.

"Never mind, here they are now!" exclaimed Bombur, pointing to where the group of five emerged from the camp, walking at a leisurely pace.

"What took you so long?" called Bofur loudly.

"Ori couldn't find his slingshot," Nori answered with a roll of his eyes, "he only has one weapon to look after and he still manages to misplace it,"

"I didn't misplace anything else," Ori grumbled, "and it was only my slingshot,"

"If all goes well you won't even need to use that," Bofur shrugged, "it's only a precaution, don't worry too much about it,"

"It is always wise to be prepared," cautioned Gandalf wisely.

"Look, there's Dain!" exclaimed Kili suddenly, and everyone's heads turned to where he pointed, away on the horizon to the east. There, merely dots between the pale morning sky and the barren earth below, were the dwarves of the Iron Hills; a small envoy, from what Kili could see, but heavily armed. Sunlight glinted off steel in every direction. The warriors would have to descend into the valley and cross the river to reach the camp, but the plan was to intercept them before they crossed the river in order to talk at a safe distance from elves and men who could provide a source of tension.

Fili hesitated for a moment, then set his expression determinedly. "Let's go and meet them," he said, leading the group of dwarves forward at a brisk march. Bilbo and Gandalf lingered for a moment, then at a word from the wizard they joined the group of elves and men watching the dwarves with anticipation. Their presence would only cause complications.

As soon as they were out of earshot of the elves, Kili remarked, "I didn't think Thranduil was going to trust us that easily,"

"Aye, for all he knows we could be devising a heinous plot with Dain," winked Nori cheekily.

Fili looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, "it's a change, that's for sure,"

"Maybe Legolas has been talking with him," Kili suggested.

"Perhaps..." Fili trailed off as they drew near to the river. They had been planning to ford it, but now Dain and his men were so close on the other bank there seemed to Kili little point in getting wet.

That was, until Fili pushed him in, giving him no choice on the matter.

The others plunged in after, the water swirling up around their thighs and freezing their toes inside their boots. It was not wide, and so did not take long to cross, but by the time they reached the opposite side they were all shivering. Climbing the bank a safe distance, Kili found himself and his brother barely ten feet from their very distant cousin, who held a hand up to halt his warriors and glared at the group of eight mistrustfully. He himself had a cohort of around fifty armed dwarves at his back, which was still a mere tenth of the whole army. Letting his gaze trail up the valley side, Kili spotted what he thought could be the front ranks of the rest of them, quite high up and far back, but still close enough to come to the aid of their king should he need it.

Stepping forward and taking charge, Fili introduced himself in the proper way. Kili followed suit along with the rest of the dwarves, noticing that his brother had taken it upon himself to be the leader more and more lately. It occurred to him that Fili would make a good king when the time came - although hopefully not for a long time yet.

Dain introduced himself though no introduction was really necessary, then raised an eyebrow. "You are Thorin's nephews, then? Are you here to lead us to your uncle? For it appears that an army of elves and men lies in our way, and they will surely not allow us passage,"

Kili shared a worried look with Fili; it seemed Thorin had not mentioned them in his raven messages to the Iron Hills king. This would either make things easier, or a lot harder.

"Most unfortunately, my uncle Thorin is suffering from a sickness that, as yet, has no cure," said Fili solemnly, and Dain's eyes widened, "we are doing everything we can for him, but the gold beneath this mountain has been long brooded over by a dragon and has a hold on him that no one can understand,"

Kili noted that his brother wisely did not blame the gold sickness on Durin blood, nor link it to Thror's disease. Much better to blame it on a dead dragon; much safer, and it held a strong element of truth.

Dain was frowning now. "Thorin did not mention any sickness in his messages, nor seemed to be suffering from any malady,"

"But he would never admit it," explained Fili, "and it is not too far fetched to assume that he would still withhold treasure from the elves were he in his right mind; but to refuse the men - who have suffered much - a single coin, and to exile his own kith and kin? We, who have been loyal to him to the last drop of blood? Does that seem to you something he would do of his own accord?"

Dain's face became paler as he answered, "nay, I cannot imagine any king doing that, least of all Thorin," but then his eyes narrowed, "pray tell me, what did you do to earn exile?"

"That is a long story, concerning elves, spiders and orcs," replied Fili, "all you need to know is that we have long been trying to avoid war and cure our uncle, however he saw that as siding with the elves and men - which, in a way, it is - and exiled us. Recently, the matter has escalated over the...removal of the Arkenstone from Thorin's possession, and the only way for it to be resolved peacefully is to keep the jewel until he hands over the gold promised to the men, which will be also shared among the elves. We are here because we fear that once you and your dwarves are inside Erebor he will break the deal and declare war. We ask that you halt before the gate until the elves and men have departed with their gold and the threat of enmity between the races has passed,"

"You seem very certain of this," observed Dain, "in his messages, Thorin implied that the gold is being demanded unjustly. What claim, if any, do the men and elves have which makes you so quick to defend them?"

Kili took this as his cue to speak - he wasn't going to let his brother take all the responsibility, after all. "The men suffered the wrath of Smaug after he was awakened as a result of our quest, and their town was burned to nothing before one of them slew the foul beast. If nothing else, we should give them gold out of pity; but as it is, we owe them for the death of the dragon and much treasure was also stolen from Dale, which means part of that hoard belongs to them by rights. As for the elves, that is a long story as my brother said, but we have come to owe them many things over the past few weeks, including my life,"

Dain raised his eyebrows, "that is not...something I would have expected from the wood elves," he remarked.

"Perhaps not something you would have expected from their king," said Fili, "but remember, a race consists of many individual people, and generalisations are often false for most. Why, an inexperienced elf might claim that all dwarves suffer from the gold sickness, for example. Kings may represent their people, but that does not mean they are an accurate representation,"

The King of the Iron Hills regarded the sons of Durin for a long moment. Kili stood with a slight frown, wondering what was going on in his distant relative's head. _Mahal only knows_. He hoped they had done enough.

A cry came suddenly from the hill behind them, and turning with the others, Kili saw Amras racing towards them, pointing to the north, where a great black cloud could be seen swarming towards them. Time seemed to freeze.

"The goblins!" cried Amras, "Azog and his army! They have arrived!"

Dain was the first to recover. "Quick, let us go to Thranduil and Bard; a hastily made plan is still better than no plan,"

"Agreed," said Fili, turning around and grasping Kili's arm - the younger brother still in shock - before sprinting towards Amras. The other dwarves were on his heels in a split second.

They did not have to run far to find the group they had left behind at the camp; Bard was striding towards them as they approached, the Elvenking and Gandalf not far behind.

"Alas, they have come more swiftly than I guessed," cried the Wizard, "we have little time to hold our ground,"

"Does Thorin know?" asked Fili, "he will not have seen the cloud from inside the mountain,"

"Good point," said Legolas, "we should send our swiftest runner to Erebor,"

Bard turned, and made a sharp hand gesture to one of his men. The guard nodded, turned, and sprinted off in the direction of the mountain.


	33. Chapter 33

_BOFA is here! A really long chapter, and this is just half of it! Expect the next chapter in less than 3 days, I have quite a lot of it written, after spending most of yesterday and today writing. Hooray for easter holidays!_

_WARNING: this chapter is a battle, if you hadn't worked that out already. It's gruesome and quite graphic most of the way through, so if you were uncomfortable with the orcish torture near the beginning of this story then you probably shouldn't be reading this. But battles are terrible things, so I didn't want to cut down on the detail._

_Thank you for all your lovely reviews people! I'm not sure how lovely they will be after this monster of a chapter but there you go. Virtual easter eggs go to: **InezSophia**, **Syblime**, **LouphiaTheHobbit**, **jaymzNshed**, **sailor-starlight101**, **FanOfRandomThings**, **leggomygreggo2**, **GregsMadHatter**, **FoxmistXFeatherdark**, **tygrislily**, **fixusi**, and **Kcaelle** (though you're not at this chapter yet, but when you get here...) So many! I'm not sure if I've got enough easter eggs - good job they're virtual :)_

_If anyone wants dramatic music to go with this, I recommend "night on a bare mountain" by Mussorgsky. It's one of my favourites._

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><p>Kili tried to pay his full attention to the strategies devised by the leaders, but found his mind more and more preoccupied, and his eyes wandering constantly to the rapidly approaching cloud of doom. He was more scared than he would dare let on to anyone, even himself; his latest encounter with orcs had shaken him more than he realised at the time, and now the idea of facing them again filled him with dread. Yes, he had his bow this time, and he was wearing armour, and he was ninety-nine percent healed - he still sported a slight limp, but it was only noticeable when he thought about it. But while he was able to fight, that didn't make him immune to harm.<p>

Or Fili. It wasn't just him this time, everyone around him was in danger too. Chances were, they weren't all going to come through this alive. A sideways glance at Ori showed the young scribe counting on his fingers with his tongue between his teeth; if Kili had been any better at maths, he might be calculating their chances of survival too. Or not. It was quite a depressing thought.

Beside him, Fili seemed to sense his unease and reached back to give his hand a quick, comforting squeeze. Kili returned the pressure briefly. That was all it took to calm him: the knowledge that Fili would never let anything happen to him as long as they were together, and the knowledge that he would do the same for his brother. Fighting as a pair, they would be unstoppable.

Another presence was suddenly there at Kili's side, and without looking he knew that Tauriel had managed to sneak round behind him. No one had seen her. Her long, delicate fingers entwined with his own and he cherished the moment. He knew it was possibly their last moment together, since either or both of them could die in the upcoming battle; if both of them perished, they would be separated even in death, since Tauriel would go to the halls of Mandos, set aside for the children of Ilúvatar, whereas he himself would be confined to the halls of Aulë until the remaking of the world. Kili did not want to think about that though, he only wanted to savour every last second he had with his fair elf as if it were his last, the next best thing to putting it in a bottle and keeping it forever.

"To the Mountain!" called Bard suddenly, "let us take our places while there is yet time!"

In all directions, elves, men and dwarves started scurrying, and having blanked out to most of the conversation, Kili looked around desperately. Luckily, Fili and Tauriel were both still right beside him. Fili looked him in the eyes and put his hands on his shoulders, and Kili's heart sank. There was a deeply hurting and apologetic look in his older brother's eyes.

"Kili, go with the Elven archers. You will be safer among them," Fili instructed grimly.

"What? Where are you going?" cried Kili, feeling shocked, hurt and betrayed all in an instant.

"I must go and find Uncle Thorin, he needs my protection," said Fili sternly.

"But not mine?" Kili protested, "Fili, we fight together! You'll be exposed without me, who is going to have your back?"

"Kili, you still limp. I've noticed. You can't go charging into the heat of the battle, you'll be cut down immediately,"

"No! I'm fine! I don't need feet to shoot a bow or swing a sword," argued Kili.

"You need feet to dodge attacks," Fili countered, "you won't be safe,"

Kili scoffed sarcastically. "It's a battle, brother, no one's safe anywhere. But I'll be safer with you, and you'll be safer with me; we need to protect each other,"

"This is how I'm protecting you this time, Kili. If one of us dies, the other one will be Thorin's heir. We can't lose both of us,"

"Hypocrite," he laughed dryly, "I don't recall you saying that when I was dying in your arms. Something along the lines of 'I'm coming with you', wasn't it? Well this time, I'm coming with you whether you like it or not,"

"No, you're staying with the elves. End of story," Fili declared, his mouth set in a grim line.

Kili stared at his brother in complete hopelessness. It was betrayal, forcing them to separate at such a critical time, but Fili's eyes had hardened over and for a moment Kili thought he looked astoundingly like Uncle Thorin - minus the dark hair and the gold sickness. Drained, he allowed Tauriel to lead him gently away, and with a last look of longing Fili turned and sprinted away towards the mountain, following a long line of dwarves including all of the rest of the company who had been exiled. Kili was alone.

But not quite. Tauriel was still there, a look of understanding and sympathy in her gentle eyes. They shone with such a warmth when she looked at him - but underneath that, Kili knew a fire blazed, full of anger brought on by long suffering. He had to wonder what fuelled it, but he could take a guess: Tauriel had never told him how her parents died. He would have bet his beard (small as it was) that it had something to do with orcs.

Grasping his hand a little firmer, Tauriel led Kili up the mountain to the southern spur, following the great number of Elven archers who were heading in the same direction. Once they were a decent distance up, Kili saw elves placing themselves firmly behind rocks and boulders which could act as shields while they fired their arrows. Looking around for a good spot, he suddenly heard someone call his name and whirled round to see Gandalf and Bilbo not ten feet away.

"My dear Kili, where is your brother?" exclaimed Gandalf, "I have rarely seen you without each other,"

Kili felt a renewed pang in his heart, but he answered, "he has gone to the gate of Erebor to fight with our uncle. He told me to stay here because he thinks it will be safer for me,"

Gandalf looked troubled for a moment, the turned and said something to Bilbo. The hobbit nodded nervously, then continued up the slope alone while Gandalf hastened downhill, with no explanation at all. Kili shared a worried look with Tauriel as the wizard left, but a moment later the elf had picked out a suitable boulder and directed the dwarf behind it, crouching down next to him.

"Let me just warn you, the orcs are likely to overrun us at some point," she cautioned, "this may be safer than other places, but it is by no means a guarantee of survival,"

"I know," Kili said with a sad smile, "but I will protect you as well as I can,"

Tauriel actually smiled at that. "And I you. But don't go sacrificing yourself for me, ok? You're much more important than I am,"

"No I'm not," Kili denied, "I'm not even the crown prince, that's Fili. And if he dies I'm not going to be able to go on anyway, so right now there is no situation where I become King of Erebor. I am not important. You, on the other hand, are immortal. You've got a lot longer to live than I have, so your life is a lot more precious than mine,"

Tauriel shook her head sadly. "The worth of lives is not measured in years, Kili. It is measured in how you use those years. If I die to save you, then my life is worth more than it ever has been in my lifetime, because with it I will have bought you yours, which is worth more than all of Arda. I have no family on this earth any more; you have your brother, your uncle, your mother, all of your distant cousins, who will mourn you deeply if you die-"

"I will mourn you if you die," declared Kili softly, "and so will many people, I know it. Even if you have no real family, you have more friends than you realise, who all love you and will miss you if you leave them. Promise not to sacrifice yourself for me, please,"

"I'm sorry Kili. I'm not going to promise that," said Tauriel.

"Then I'm not going to promise anything either," sighed Kili, meeting her eyes sadly.

The moment was interrupted by a call from overhead to notch their arrows and prepare for the first wave of goblins. Kili and Tauriel obeyed, just as Legolas slid down beside them. He had been the one to issue the order.

"You're leading this division?" Tauriel asked, unsurprised.

"Yes, father wanted me to stay near Ravenhill, so Rúthen's leading the group that will charge first," replied the Prince. His eyes rested on Kili for a moment, and he worked out what had gone on. "Nienna is leading a small group to help guard the gate, Fili will be as safe as we are," he said in reassurance. Kili smiled weakly in thanks.

A great roar came suddenly from the valley, and Legolas was on his feet in an instant, arrow drawn back and pointed at the great mass of goblins as they came swarming into the rift between the two spurs.

"Wait for it!" he called, and Kili aimed his arrow.

"Don't wait too long, otherwise Rúthen will charge and we will have to ceasefire or risk hitting one of our own," advised Tauriel.

"I know," Legolas rolled his eyes, but he raised his voice a moment later, calling "Fire!"

A volley of arrows flew into the air, some of them trailing bright orange flames, the archers having set them alight before releasing them. They rained down into the goblin lines, and many goblins dropped dead as they were impaled; others raised their shields above their heads to defend themselves from above, and that was when the great call came from Rúthen down below:

"Charge!"

Elves and men wielding spears and swords surged forward, cutting down foe after foe in their wake, however they were far outnumbered and soon had to draw back. It was then that a call came up from the east spur of the mountain, and down roared Dain with the warriors from the Iron Hills, their two-handed mattocks cleaving orcs and wargs from their path as if they were swatting flies. The men of the Lake were beside them, their longswords quickly stained with black blood.

Kili watched in awed horror as the battle-scene drew out before him. Legolas had leapt from behind the rock almost as soon as it had become impractical to fire arrows for fear of hitting a friend, and disappeared into the chaos below. Tauriel, however, had stayed by his side, though many other elves followed Legolas. All Kili wondered was how he was ever going to find Fili. If his brother thought he was just going to sit quietly behind a rock for the whole battle, then he had overlooked some serious traits in Kili's personality.

"What are we doing?" he asked Tauriel eventually, over the roar of the battle.

"Hmm..." was the only reply he got.

"You're just sitting here so I won't go anywhere, aren't you?" Kili narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Look out!" cried Tauriel suddenly, standing up and sending an arrow into an orc's eye at point blank range. It had been sneaking up behind Kili, but the more worrying thought was that if one orc had managed to get this far up the mountain, no doubt more would soon follow. "Fili asked me to," Tauriel answered the dwarf's previous question.

"Well we're not staying here any longer," announced Kili, "I'm going to find that blockheaded brother of mine, and you can come if you want to. I won't blame you if you stay here,"

"I'm not letting you go off on your own," said Tauriel stoutly, "going into a fight without comrades is asking for an arrow in the back,"

Kili was glad, not that he hadn't been suspecting that response from the moment he expressed a doubt. He trusted Tauriel to have his back almost as much as he trusted Fili, and though he regretted leading her away from their relatively safe spot on the slopes of the southern spur, she was a warrior and probably would rather be fighting for her king than babysitting a dwarf.

With a quick nod of acknowledgement to each other, elf and dwarf leapt out from behind the boulder and sent a pair of arrows directly into two orcs who had come too close.

"This way!" called Kili, scrambling along the sloping spur towards the bulk of the mountain, Tauriel not far behind.

It was tricky going, since the ground was covered in loose rocks and scree and was rather steep in places, but Kili knew it was safer than taking the shortcut across the valley, where the battle was at its most heated. Orcs frequently spilled far enough upwards to threaten the pair, but they were quickly dispatched by arrows. Tauriel took the opportunity to retrieve arrows as often as possible, since they did not have a limitless supply, and shared them between her and Kili according to their length.

After a while they came to a point where the slope was too steep to traverse, and they had no choice but to chance the fray below.

"We'll make straight for the gate, there's no way to avoid the battle now," said Kili grimly.

"I'll be with you all the way," replied Tauriel, fitting another arrow smoothly to her bow and taking down a stray warg.

"Du Bekar!" roared Kili, leaping forward and planting his feet firmly on the scree below. His weight carried him downwards at an alarming pace, but he kept his balance and took down three orcs with arrows before drawing his sword. At the bottom he landed and spun round, delivering a heavy blow to a goblin's skull with the hilt of his sword then immediately freeing another's head from its body.

Tauriel was right on his tail, having chosen to run down the slope instead of slide, and she did not draw her knives but sent arrow after arrow into the gaps between the crude metal plates of goblin armour. She had kept her quiver almost full, and now she did not waste a single arrow as each one of them found it's mark.

One of the most horrible parts of the battle, Kili found, was not one that he had ever considered before, probably because it was so gruesome it did not bear thinking about until you actually had to do it. Though the battle was in its early stages, the ground was already littered with the corpses of wargs, orcs, men, elves and dwarves alike. Some of them were so mangled that it was impossible to tell what they had been in life, unless one observed the armour they wore. Kili found it horrendous. At first he tried his best to divert his feet away from the broken bodies, but his mind was so preoccupied with trying not to become one of them that it was near-impossible to avoid them completely.

It felt like an age by the time he even got a moment's pause to check his surroundings, but when he looked up he was disappointed to see that the gate of Erebor seemed no closer than it had when they had entered the battle. A quick look over his shoulder told him that Tauriel had finally run out of arrows and had drawn her knives, cutting down foes in a whirlwind of crimson hair and black blood.

"We're not getting closer!" he yelled, spinning and swiping an orc's legs out from under it with his foot before sending his blade deep into its heart. His ankle gave a twinge of protest, but he ignored it.

Tauriel looked up for a split second as she let a dead orc drop from her knives, and her face became stony.

"There is no way around," she said loudly to be heard over the roars of battle, "we must keep trying or give up now,"

"Giving up is not an option," Kili gritted his teeth as he wrenched his sword from the ribcage of an unfortunate warg.

"I knew you'd say that," Tauriel managed a small laugh, sending one knife hurtling through the air over Kili's head to embed itself in a goblin's skull and simultaneously striking behind her with her second, goblin guts spilling out over her hand with a gruesome squelch.

They pressed on at their painfully slow pace, hacking and slicing their way through the endless mass of foes until the land started to slope upwards again, at last giving them some indication that they had not been stationary. Despite their promises to have each other's back, they were a somewhat mismatched fighting pair due to the drastic height difference, and Kili found himself shouting warnings to Tauriel much more often than actually blocking blows aimed at her. Luckily she was a good enough warrior to block them herself and usually take down the orc or warg who had been the threat at the same time.

Still the Gate of Erebor did not seem to draw closer, despite the steepening climb and the increased number of orcs trying to make their way in the same direction. Kili's ankle now throbbed dully when he stepped on it, and while he preferred that to the constant needles of pain, it was a sure sign that he was getting tired. _Not a good time_, he told himself sternly.

* * *

><p>Tauriel, on the other hand, was anything but tired; the adrenaline pumped through her veins like fire and heightened her senses exponentially, giving her the precision and accuracy of a much more experienced warrior. That said, she had nearly lost one of her knives several times by accidentally forgetting to remove it from a dead foe and grabbing it only at the last second before it disappeared into the mess of corpses beneath her feet. Every time it happened, it struck her that while she was a good warrior by many standards, she was actually relatively inexperienced in a battle such as this. There were many elves among the ranks who had fought in countless wars and slain many times the number of orcs Tauriel had fought in her life, while she herself had never been in so dreadful a battle before.<p>

An orc approached her from behind, but Tauriel knew it was there and kicked out backwards, hard, just below its knee. A crack echoed amongst the cries of the living and dying alike and the orc toppled sideways, its leg broken. With a merciful swish, Tauriel drew her knife across its throat and turned to face the next enemy, but what she saw made her blood run cold.

Kili was fighting hopelessly against two orcs, his sword just a blur as it blocked one then the other of the orcs' wickedly spiked maces. Though he was far away and allies and enemies passed between them every few seconds, she could still tell he would be overpowered any moment. Cursing herself for becoming separated from him by so many feet, Tauriel bounded a couple of steps towards him before having to pause and kill yet another orc, driving one of her knives up through its diaphragm and into its lungs. As it dropped to the ground, spluttering and coughing out vile black blood, she looked forward again to see Kili still holding out but clearly flagging.

Another two steps, another orc to dispatch. Kili was driven further away from her by the two he was duelling. Another step. Kili rolled to avoid a swing that might have taken his head off, drew an arrow from his quiver and without bothering to use his bow, drove it deep into one orc's ankle with his hand. The orc bellowed, but its cry was cut short as the raven haired dwarf rose to his feet and smoothly slit its throat. Tauriel was relieved for a moment, before another orc stepped in to take the previous one's place and Kili was duelling two again.

Another three steps. A blow was aimed for Kili's midriff and he dodged it, barely. Another one followed without a moment's pause and a line of bright red blood merged with the dirt on Kili's face as a shallow cut opened just above his right eyebrow. Another step. Kili could not concentrate on both at once. Tauriel's heart was in her mouth as she sent a warg flying with a well-aimed kick. She would not make it in time, and one of the orcs was aiming for the death blow. She had no arrows left. Taking careful aim, she released one of her knives from her right hand. It spun straight and true into the back of the orc's head, and the grotesque creature dropped where it stood. Kili had only one orc left to deal with.

Five steps, and Tauriel was almost close enough to kill the orc herself. A warg jumped up at her, teeth snapping, and she drove her one remaining knife through its neck without hesitation, remembering to draw it out again after. An orc was behind her. Kili found an opening in the last orc's armour and thrust his sword deep into it. When he pulled, it wouldn't come out again. Tauriel saw his eyes widen in horror. There was an orc behind him. There was still an orc behind her, getting closer. Kili wouldn't pull his sword out in time. She had one knife. She had better make it count.

The moment before she lost consciousness, Tauriel registered three things: Kili calling her name, her knife embedding itself in the skull of the orc behind him, and a dull pain in the back of her head.

* * *

><p>"No! Tauriel!" Kili cried, his heart stopping in his chest as he watched his fair elf maiden fall as if in slow motion. He couldn't breathe. Vaguely, he registered that his sword had finally come free of the orc corpse, but it hung limply from his hand as he saw the flame red hair mix with red blood on the unforgiving carpet of bodies. He felt as though he was swimming through treacle as he struggled forward to reach her, but an orc came across his path and he had to take a step back to avoid its clumsily swinging sword. A moment later it was dead, but not before another stepped between Kili and where he needed to be, blocking his route again.<p>

Two minutes of helpless struggling, and Kili realised he didn't even know which direction Tauriel lay any more, so much his position might have changed in all the fighting. He needed help.

Just then, a horrible cry echoed from the mountain above; goblins had scaled the mountain from the other side and were now tumbling down it in a black mass, bats swarming overhead. They flowed over the gate like a river of steel, many of them tumbling from great heights with long, agonising screeches, others finding a safe path and taking the warriors guarding the gate - elves, men and dwarves - by surprise. Kili felt a sick feeling settle in his stomach; was Fili all right? He could not forget his purpose to find his brother, and he would not rest until he did - not that there was any rest to be had in battle anyway - but what about Tauriel? She couldn't be dead. He refused to accept that as an option. He needed to find her.

He took one last longing look at the mountain, where Fili was either safe inside or defending Thorin with swords and body. He hoped it was the former.

Then, before his very eyes, the great stone wall built to keep elves and men out of Erebor moved, slowly at first, before it toppled with a great splash into the river that flowed out from the great Gate. There stood Thorin for all to see, gleaming in golden armour, wielding a sword glowing with blue light: Orcrist. It seemed even in the heat of battle someone had managed to redistribute the dwarves' weapons to their rightful owners. His other arm carried a shield of oak. By his side stood Fili, dual swords gleaming and hair a bright gold contrasting with the grey stone and darkened sky that served as backdrop. Kili felt a pang in his heart; he should be up there with them. All the rest of the company were there. But he had to find Tauriel, and he was the only one who could. The sound of his kin's battle cry as they charged forward into the orcs was sad to his ears.

A flash of cream blurred across his vision suddenly, making him jump in surprise and stick his sword further through an orc's neck than was really necessary. Turning his head to follow the blur, he saw with a flood of relief that it was Legolas, battling orcs with the ease that only comes from centuries of practise, and previous experience. He had switched his long sword that he had used for that competition (so long ago, it seemed!) with a pair of long daggers not unlike the ones Tauriel used, and was wielding them with deadly efficiency. Kili vaguely wondered whether the Elven prince had been in a battle this big before. But the thought was swiftly overridden by his one overarching worry.

"Legolas!" he called as loudly as he could, and the elf turned, letting a dead warg drop from his knives. Kili remembered that Thranduil had wanted his son to stay near Ravenhill. So much for that plan.

"Kili!" exclaimed Legolas, his face darkening at the dwarf's grim demeanour. On second thoughts, maybe he wasn't battling so easily with the orcs after all. Taking a quick closer inspection, Kili could see numerous cuts and scratches on the elf's face, and there was a large tear in Legolas's sleeve where red blood had already dried around the edges.

Kili got to the point. "It's Tauriel, she's hurt, I couldn't get to her, now I can't find her, I don't know -"

"Go," Legolas cut him off, "I will find her, I promise. I swear it. Go to Fili,"

Kili stared for a moment, realising that the elf had seen right through his words to his most urgent desires. Guilt welled up in him for what he was about to do.

"Go," repeated Legolas shortly, and with a nod and a grimace of thanks, Kili turned away. He trusted Legolas utterly, and knew that he was leaving Tauriel in the best hands. His job now was to find his brother.

* * *

><p>Echoing his uncle's roar, Fili charged forward into the fray with his swords whirling expertly in his hands, obeying his every will. It had been less awkward than he had expected, walking into Erebor with six other exiled dwarves and announcing that he was defending his uncle whether Thorin liked it or not. The messenger sent by Bard had arrived before them and the five dwarves left in the mountain had been already donning armour when the others had arrived. They had exchanged few words, but Thorin didn't send them away, so Fili began to hope that he was returning to his old self. The fact that he didn't ask about Kili's absence, however, did not seem to prove that point.<p>

Though his swords flashed and his hands soon became smeared with black blood, Fili's thoughts wandered to the southern spur of the mountain, where he hoped Kili was patiently staying out of the bulk of the fighting - though, if the Gate had been overrun, chances were the spurs had become overrun quite a while ago. Fili slightly regretted his decision to leave his brother behind. In fact he had regretted it from the moment he thought of it, but he had also acknowledged that it was necessary for Kili's own safety. Fighting among elves, Kili would have no one to protect and worry about but himself, which was surely to his advantage; furthermore, Fili trusted that Tauriel would protect his brother with everything she had. Yes, it was much better this way. Now he could worry about his uncle and his uncle alone.

But he still worried about Kili, no matter what he told himself.

The goblins and orcs and wargs were like a sea, so thickly did they swarm around the gate. Fili could swing his swords in pretty much any direction and be sure of cutting down an enemy. The trick was aiming for the ones attacking you, and getting them before they could land their blows. Ahead of him, Thorin slashed a path through the battlefield with Orcrist, and it was this that Fili followed closely in order to keep up with his uncle. Many dwarves from the Iron Hills were joining them on either side now, with some elves and men amongst them too; they had been rallied against the goblin hoard by Thorin's booming war cry, and the goblins were being driven back, away from the Gate and into the valley, trapped by charging warriors on three sides.

A warg leapt up at Thorin's back, and Fili's right sword was through its neck before it even had time to open its jaws. His left stuck an orc in the eye before he drew his right out of the warg and swung it round to finish the orc off. Without a pause, his swords were in the air again, and the newly decapitated orc head was flung across the battlefield, knocking another one clean out.

They pressed onwards, but the valley was growing wider than their numbers, spreading their ranks thinner and thinner. Fili lifted his gaze to what he could see of the southern spur, and his heart leapt to his mouth as he saw orcs crawling all over it. At Ravenhill there looked to be quite a bit of fighting, and Fili remembered that the Elvenking was making his stand there. He hoped Kili was with those elves.

Suddenly, there rose before them a giant of an orc, pale in contrast to the black swarm of bats above them and creating a silhouette that Fili would never forget: one arm was missing. Azog. His mace swatted his enemies out of his path like flies, and his face seemed set in a permanent sneer. Luckily he was quite far away at present, but his bodyguards circled around him like a living shield, bringing a swift end to any who posed a threat to their master. Fili shivered involuntarily.

A moment later, he misjudged the flight path of an orc's arrow and it skimmed his ear, drawing blood. He thanked Mahal that his ears weren't as sensitive as an elf's, but began to fight more warily. In front of him, Thorin was fighting with all his energy, striking down many of Azog's bodyguards despite their exceptional skill compared to the rest of their kind. Fili realised he was trying to get to the Pale Orc himself, and a familiar feeling of dread settled in his chest; Thorin had faced off Azog several times now and still both of them lived, however Fili had a feeling that this would be the last time they saw each other. Only one would walk out of this alive.

A knot formed in Fili's chest as he thought of what Kili would have to go through if both he and his uncle died today. But there were only two options for the outcome of this battle: if Azog walked away with his head still on his shoulders, Fili would not. The beast wanted to end the whole line of Durin, so this was his fight as much as Thorin's. If they failed, Kili was their safety net; Kili was the hope for the future - but they would not fail, Fili swore to no one in particular. He'd be damned before he left his brother alone in this world.

He grimaced at his own thoughts, ducking under a goblin's sword and ending that particular beast's life quickly and cleanly. Wasn't that exactly what he'd just done?

* * *

><p>Amras moved through the battle with clumsy, unpractised swings of his sword, missing death by inches far more times than he was comfortable with. He had his pair of long daggers tucked into his belt, but he really preferred keeping his enemies at sword's length. That, however, was proving rather difficult.<p>

It was not that he was a bad fighter. He knew that. He was better than most with the bow; it was just a shame that his arrows had run out so early on, he could have used them right now. But he was unused to such chaos in a fight, so many orcs and wargs everywhere that it was impossible to know where to look. He didn't know how Legolas did it, and admired his prince for it. He also wondered where Legolas had got to; Amras was supposed to be under his command, among the archers who had started on the southern spur of the mountain, but somehow they had all become separated and now he was completely alone.

It would be ironic if he died here. The same place that his brother had met his end, one hundred and seventy years ago.

Because most people did not remember, or had never bothered to find out, the reason why Amras disliked dwarves - disliked being a tame word for it. It wasn't that they had forgotten Amdir, it was that people tended to forget that he belonged to Amras - after all, the age difference had been several centuries, a big gap even for elves. They had never been close, either. When Amras had been a child, Amdir had just been beginning his first job as the King's messenger and did not have time for him. It had been Amdir's dream: to travel the world in times of peace. Amras was the opposite to him in that respect. Perhaps that was why they had kept such a distant relationship as Amras grew into adulthood.

Then, almost two centuries ago, Amdir had been sent on a trip to Erebor and had never come back. Amras had so many regrets in the days that followed: that he had never been closer to his brother; that they had not even spoken the day that Amdir left Mirkwood for the last time; and most of all, that Amdir had to die in the first place. Amras's guilt had looked for an outlet - and it had found one. From that day on, he had sworn never to trust a dwarf, or even get too close to one, for he saw the devastation they brought in their wake, intentional or unintentional, and saw what it did even to those who had no connection. Amdir had been burned to death by Smaug because of the dwarves' greed and lust for gold which had drawn the dragon there in the first place. They might as well have run him through with a sword, and it would have had the same effect - with less pain and trauma.

Feeling the anger inside him rise like molten rock - which often happened, Amras noted, when he remembered how his brother had died - the second-in-command of the Mirkwood Palace Guard channelled his emotions into his strikes, blocks and parries until his breath was coming in uneven gasps and his arms felt like they were made of lead. He scolded himself for tiring himself out so quickly; he would have to go easily on himself for a bit now and get his energy back. Being exhausted in a battle was a sure way to die. Then again, he needed to get back up the hill and out of the very bottom of the valley, where the battle was at its most dreadful. Steeling himself, he picked a direction and set off in it, wielding his sword more carefully now and preserving his strength for when he might need it.

Finally he was getting the hang of the all-round awareness thing, and saved himself many cuts and gashes by listening to his gut instinct. It wasn't natural for him to listen to his gut instinct, mainly because he had always been one to think with his head and go through all the logic before deciding on an answer. Maybe it wasn't the best way for a fighter to think, but it was how he had always done things. For example, his gut instinct told him to trust the dwarves who had stayed for so long in Mirkwood, but his mind incessantly reminded him of the promise he made himself over a century ago, and his mind always won out when there was time for it to think. Now, however, there was no time to think about the best direction to dodge, or whether to block the orc first or the warg, and having got over his initial confusion Amras was doing much better ignoring his head and going by feel.

So, when he saw a quite familiar dark head bobbing low through the fray off to his left, Amras didn't listen to his head asking why. He just followed.

* * *

><p>Legolas slashed desperately at the large orc trying to overpower him with sheer strength, and a long gash opened in its collarbone, putrid blood spurting out and staining Legolas's light armour black. The creature threw itself forward again, but the Prince of Mirkwood blocked its sword with both his knives and kicked out sideways into its stomach. It was harder than he had anticipated, and his whole leg jolted with the sudden impact, but it was enough to make the orc reel back so he could drive both his knives up through its ribcage and into its heart. Tugging them out with a sickening squelch, Legolas turned to the battlefield, but his eyes were not on the many foes around him. He was scanning the ground desperately for any sign of Tauriel.<p>

He knew her, and knew that she would not have gone down without a fight. But if Kili's life had been at stake - he was guessing that had been the case, by the guilty look he had seen on the dwarf's face - then she would have been a lot more vulnerable than if she had just been protecting himself. He just hoped she wasn't too badly injured, or...or...he couldn't bring himself to think it. Sweet Eru, he needed a bit of luck right now. He had taken roughly the direction Kili had pointed, but that didn't narrow down his options much. Tauriel could be anywhere in the valley.

The anguished howl of a warg broke through the roar of battle, and Legolas turned sharply at the sound. He dispatched a couple of orcs blocking his way, then saw a warg with a knife stuck firmly in its paw, hopping around in pain and snapping viciously at something on the ground. His eyes fell to the bloodstained battlefield, and immediately widened as he saw strands of familiar red hair splayed across an empty brown quiver. He knelt down and killed the warg with one swift flick of a knife, before gently touching his friend's mauled shoulder with his fingertips. Blood was flowing freely from it, and it looked like a warg's bite - probably from the warg he had just killed, Legolas thought

He glanced over to the knife in its paw, then back to Tauriel's hand, which lay pale and fragile against the dark earth. She had stabbed it as it tried to bite her. That meant she was conscious, at least slightly. Hope rose in his chest, and taking a deep breath he rolled Tauriel over as gently as he could, sliding his hand under her head and finding sticky blood matting in the silky hair. That must have been her original injury, before the warg came. He hoped it had done no lasting damage, but head wounds were dangerous and he was no healer, so he couldn't tell for sure.

At once, Legolas was aware of an orc towering over him as he crouched over his dear friend. Before it had a chance to strike, he spun around and sent one of his knives into its belly, the other into its head. Then in an instant he was back down by Tauriel's side, just as her eyes fluttered open. To Legolas's dismay, they were cloudy and unfocused, with pain swimming behind the pupils.

"Kili?" she whispered, then let out a low moan.

"He was well the last time I saw him," Legolas replied, glad that he could give a positive response.

"Leave...me..." Tauriel closed her eyes, her brows coming together in silent anguish.

"Hush, mellon-nin, I won't let anything else happen to you. I will take you to father, you will be safe on Ravenhill," reassured Legolas, not knowing how much of that was true but desperately wanting to believe his own words. He couldn't bear seeing Tauriel in so much pain, and he saw that she desperately needed treatment from the warg bite on her shoulder before she lost too much blood, or it became infected, but it would not be easy to fight while carrying her. It would be risky for both of them; but it was a risk he knew he had to take. If she was in so much pain that she was giving up - even after a knock on the head, probably a bad concussion - he needed to get her to help as soon as possible. Carrying her would no doubt cause her more pain, but Legolas hoped she would lose consciousness again soon to save her the agony.

Sliding an arm gently beneath her shoulders, Legolas helped Tauriel sit up then twisted so that he could pick her up on his shoulder. It was not the most comfortable position, but it meant that he still had one hand free for fighting, which might just save both of their lives. As soon as he was on his feet, orcs began to notice him again and kept his right hand busy with his knife while he desperately tried to keep his left shoulder - and Tauriel - out of their reach. He thanked Eru that she was only wearing light armour, and would have weighed barely anything without it.

Ravenhill was a long way away though - too far, in Legolas's opinion. It would take a long time to get back, and he had to stay alive.

* * *

><p>After struggling on alone for so long, Kili thought he might finally be getting near to his brother. The density of orcs was increasing, and his sword was kept busy every moment by the constant swarm of enemies. Many he simply blocked then moved on, not wanting to waste time on finishing them off; he had a more important goal.<p>

He had stopped paying attention to his throbbing ankle some time ago, but not because it hurt any less. Rather, he had sustained other wounds which hurt more. There were parallel lines of blood trailing down his right side from where a warg had got him with its claws before he could plunge his sword into its skull, and there was dried blood in his scrawny beard from a scratch made by an orc's throwing knife, which he had been too slow to fully dodge. The cut above his eyebrow still stung annoyingly.

Another thing Kili noticed as he ploughed his way forward was that the orcs he was fighting were getting progressively bigger, taller and more muscly, and unfortunately more precise in their moves. It was as if he was now fighting a group of elitist orcs instead of the mere goblins. Then he saw why.

The Pale Orc was just as Kili remembered. Just as tall, and just as evil. But Kili didn't think he needed to worry about Azog; he would be killed by one of his bodyguards before he even got close to the orc leader, so he turned to the left and aimed to go around the compact circle of orcs so as to avoid what was undoubtedly suicide. That was when he spotted Nori, ahead and to his left, slipping in and out of small gaps and leaving orcs with knives sticking out of them as he went. Kili's heart raced: seeing Nori meant that he was close to Fili. He sped up his pace.

He passed Ori almost without realising it, so unused was he to seeing the meekest member of the company use a sword. It wasn't a long one, and it wasn't Ori's own - Kili thought he had probably taken it from the Erebor collection. Not far behind his brothers, unsurprisingly, was Dori, his sword no longer shining silver but black. None of the Ri brothers noticed Kili, as they were all too busy defending themselves.

The next dwarf from the company who Kili noticed was Dwalin. His heavy axe was swinging faster than most warriors could swing a sword, and it was cleaving goblins and wargs in his path like a knife cuts through butter. The elite orcs, however, seemed to be posing more of a problem, as each lasted several seconds or maybe even a minute before becoming acquainted with the sharp edge of Dwalin's axe, meaning that the dwarven warrior could not get rid of them fast enough to make progress forward. Kili saw Thorin next to him, having the same problem. At least they were together, he thought. Dwalin and his uncle were as much of a team as he and Fili were.

Talking of Fili - Kili spotted a flash of golden hair away on the other side of Thorin, not as close to their uncle as Fili would no doubt like to be. He was caught in a fierce combat with two orcs and a warg at once, his swords no more than blurs and his hard steel-capped boots kicking out at the warg every now and then. Kili didn't want to risk calling to him lest he put Fili off, but he began to hack his way towards his brother as fast as he could nevertheless.

He had closed about one third of the distance between them when Fili's left sword sliced clean through one orc's neck, leaving him with just the other orc and warg to deal with. It was tricky though; the ground here was steep, and the orc was on the uphill side, giving him even more of a height advantage than he would have had anyway. The warg kept jumping up from the side, and Fili kept kicking it away since both of his swords were engaged with the orc's, but it kept coming back.

Suddenly, as Fili kicked once again, the warg's jaw opened wide and it's head twisted in mid air, and its rows of pointed fangs latched onto Fili's right leg like a hunting trap. Fili let out a yell of pain as the sharp teeth sunk into his flesh, and was echoed by Kili, still too far away to help but feeling every moment of his brother's pain as acutely as if it were his own. Goblins, orcs and wargs fell from his path like rocks as his sword worked doubly hard in anger and fear.

Fili dropped to the ground like a felled tree, the warg dragging his right leg downhill and the orc cackling sadistically overhead. Kili was struck with a parallel image, the memory of himself being dragged away by the right leg - or rather, foot - by a giant spider, back in Mirkwood, and for a moment he was looking out of his brother's eyes and feeling the sinking sensation that comes with the realisation of helplessness.

But Kili wasn't going to let that happen. With a deafening cry, he launched himself at the warg, close enough to reach it now, and drove his sword deep into its skull. It relinquished its bite immediately, as Kili turned to the orc who was sneering down at him. It was one of the larger orcs, and carried a sword in one hand but a wicked looking flail in the other. The spiked ball that hung on a chain from the dark wooden handle was large and heavy - not the sort of thing Kili wanted to have crashing into his skull. He made a mental note of it.

Beside him, Fili was slowly pushing himself up on his hands and knees, swords still grasped in his palms. He was breathing heavily in an attempt to overcome the pain from his leg, and Kili's resolve hardened. He faced off the orc in front of him with barely a waver, despite the evil sneer on the beast's twisted face.

"Protecting him, are you?" taunted the orc, "what's the use? He is weak and unable to fight, he will not last another minute even if you kill me,"

"You orcs understand nothing!" growled Kili, lunging forward with his sword and being batted away easily.

"You are throwing your life away for him," grinned the orc maniacally, thoroughly enjoying its game, "not that I'm giving you a choice,"

Kili did not reply but launched himself at the orc, sword twirling in the air with precision that Thorin would have been proud of. The orc blocked once, twice, then the third time it misjudged and Kili's sword sliced a hole in its stomach. To his surprise, however, the orc stayed standing, and before he could even take in what had happened the orc's flail came sailing round, crashing into Kili's left arm with a sickening crack. A wave of nausea swept over Kili and he understood what had just happened: the flail had broken the bones in his forearm. It was the same feeling he had endured when the orcs in Mirkwood had broken his ankle, and he remembered it all too well. Too bad for the orc, he still could use his right arm. His sword came round and swept through its already bleeding belly, and the orc dropped to the ground, dead.

At the same time, Kili dropped to his knees beside Fili clutching his arm. Puncture marks from the spikes of the flail dotted his blood-encrusted skin, and the bones created irregular and quickly swelling bumps in his flesh, though thankfully they did not protrude through. Kili knew he had to get up, and he had to keep fighting. Fili was still struggling to lift himself onto his knees, and like this they were both extremely vulnerable.

Taking a deep breath, Kili gripped his broken left arm with his right hand and pressed hard. Bile rose in his throat and he swallowed it down quickly, and he felt light headed but the worst thing was the awful feeling of his bones grating together inside him as they moved back into place. When it was done, he was breathing hard and his vision blurred slightly before clearing again, but his arm didn't hurt so much, which was good. He couldn't lift a sword with it, but he could use it well enough for balance.

"Kili...you...idiot..." breathed Fili, dragging his leg up beneath him and raising his head to look at his brother.

"What, you really expected me to stay away from you?" retorted Kili, bringing a slight smile to his brother's lips.

"Thanks for saving me,"

"That's what brothers are for, stupid," Kili smirked back, "I'm just grateful to Mahal that you didn't need my help before I got here,"

Fili frowned suddenly. "Where's Tauriel?" He had expected her to stay with Kili, and was half annoyed and half worried that she hadn't arrived with him.

Kili's expression darkened. "I don't know. She risked her life to save me, then we got separated. Legolas is looking for her,"

"Oh..." was all that Fili could say. He felt guilt well up in him for his initial annoyance that Tauriel hadn't stayed with Kili, and realised that once again he owed her the greatest debt - if she was still alive.

"Up," ordered Kili shortly, rising to his feet and offering his right hand to help his brother to his feet. He knew that they couldn't shelter on the ground until the battle was over, and plus, their uncle needed their help.

"What happened to your arm?" Fili asked sharply, noticing how Kili's sword dangled limply in his left hand, his arm not having the strength to lift it.

"That brute's spiky flail," Kili shrugged, "I'm fine,"

"No you're not, it's swelling already," argued Fili.

"It's better than your leg," retorted Kili, and Fili shut his mouth abruptly. He could barely put any weight on his left leg without suffering agonising pain, as it seemed the warg's teeth had torn through the muscle. He gritted his teeth and leaned more heavily on his brother.

"Let's just go," he muttered through clenched teeth.

"If you think I'm letting you go against another of those orcs in this state, you've got another thing coming, brother," Kili raised an eyebrow.

"Is there a choice?" Fili pointed out dryly.

Kili sighed. "All right. What do we do then? Hold our ground? Make for Ravenhill?"

"Defend Uncle. Might as well risk ourselves for a good cause while we're still standing," said Fili, all lightheartedness gone from his voice now.

"Barely," added Kili, nodding to Fili's leg, but he felt the weight on his shoulder lighten and saw his brother grip his swords more firmly and determinedly than before as they fought their way side by side towards where their uncle danced inches from Death's cold, bony fingertips.


	34. Chapter 34

_It's all coming to an end! I will be so sad when I finish this fic :( I'm guessing it will be one or two chapters more after this. But at least this is a long chapter (albeit not quite as long as the previous one) and hopefully there are plenty of feels :)_

_Every single review means so much to me now I'm on a countdown, so a massive thank you to all these people: **tygrislily**, **InezSophia**, **GregsMadHatter**, **LouphiaTheHobbit**, **FoxmistXFeatherdark**, **FanOfRandomThings**, **jaymzNshed**, **syeern**, **Syblime** and **fixusi**._

_As for what happens when I finish this, I have a couple of ideas in my head for long, multi-chapter stories, and I do intend to write at least one of them but I haven't decided which one yet (both revolve around Fili and Kili, but unfortunately not the elves) and I have GCSEs coming up so I will be taking a break from writing until they're over. That's at the end of June, so look out for new stuff at the beginning of July! :)_

_And now, enjoy the chapter._

* * *

><p>Amras had lost sight of Kili when he had spotted Azog. The Pale Orc was just so huge and terrible that Amras had simply stared at it until a warg had come barrelling into him and brought him back to earth. By the time he had managed to kill it, Kili was gone.<p>

He was alone, and the battle raged on all sides. He didn't know where to go, and he could not see a single friend amongst all the orcs.

But a familiar arrow whistled past his ear and thudded into an orc behind him. Snapping his head to the direction it had come from, Amras saw Lenwë leaping towards him.

"Where did you come from?" he asked, unable to suppress a grin of relief.

"Followed you. Not much else to do here," Lenwë answered, drawing another arrow from his quiver and sending it into a goblin, then leaping after it and yanking it out before the goblin had even hit the ground.

"You've still got all your arrows!" exclaimed Amras, taking in Lenwë's full sheath while beheading an orc of his own.

"No, I lost most of mine ages ago. Half of these belong to orcs," admitted Lenwë, stabbing at a foe with a short knife then notching another arrow. Amras saw its crude fashion and poor balance, then wondered how orcs ever hit their marks. It was a good idea though. There was no shortage of arrows in this battlefield if you knew where to look - and could do it without feeling sick.

* * *

><p>Fili was the first to glimpse their uncle between the fast-moving bodies of friends and foes. He saw a streak of black and grey hair before an orc closed the gap and he was once more forced to fight. Kili was beside him, his left arm cradled against his chest and the other one grasping one of Fili's swords - they had decided between them that since Kili could not use his heavier sword with just one hand, and Fili could not wield two swords with compromised balance, they would take one each, Fili the left and Kili the right. It was working well for them so far.<p>

"Over there, Kili!" he gestured just as the orc fell to the ground.

"I see him!" Kili confirmed, spinning round to get an orc at their back, "hey, it looks like everyone's making a circle!"

Fili risked a glimpse round, and saw that his brother was right; a circle did indeed seem to be forming, of dwarves, elves and men. On every side, orcs were driving against it, and Fili suddenly felt very hopeless. They were far outnumbered. Victory seemed impossible.

Then, unexpectedly, there came a resounding cry of hope sweeping as a wave over the battlefield: "the Eagles are coming!" Fili looked skywards and saw the bats, which had been swarming there a moment ago, scattering to make way for the giant eagles that swooped down and started picking off orcs, goblins and wargs. They seemed to attack more on the spurs, Fili noticed with a bit of disappointment, and barely came anywhere near the ring of orc bodyguards surrounding Azog. They would not receive help here.

He turned back to where he had seen Thorin, and to his surprise there was a clear view from himself to his uncle. Gritting his teeth against the blinding pain in his leg, Fili started forward and saw Kili close behind him. They were almost there.

Then Azog was facing Thorin. His mace came down on Thorin's oaken shield again and again, and it seemed their uncle could barely get a blow in edgeways. The orc paused.

"You have evaded death at my hands too many times, Oakenshield. Your luck cannot last you forever,"

"Luck has never been on the side of the dwarves, and we survive anyway," retorted Thorin through clenched teeth.

"Prepare to die, Oakenshield. Your line will be ended," Azog raised his mace for the greatest blow yet.

"No -" gasped Thorin, but the blow never came.

With two great cries, Fili and Kili launched themselves towards Azog, each sword finding a mark in the orc's flesh, but before they could deliver fatal stabs the Pale Orc's mace came down sideways, crashing into Fili's ribcage and sending him flying into Kili, and together they rolled over in the dirt and blood of the battlefield. Kili was kneeling by his brother's side in moments.

"Fili - Fee, are you all right?"

Fili groaned and brought his hands to his side, where the mace had hit. His chainmail was ripped and blood already seeped through, and he was having some trouble breathing. Suddenly he gave an almighty cough, and to Kili's horror a trail of blood trickled from his brother's mouth.

"Oh Fee..." Kili gasped, feeling more helpless than he had ever felt in his life.

Azog's cold, cruel voice echoed across to them. "How touching...the little heirs want to protect their King. This makes everything so much simpler: I can wipe you all out at once," he gave a maniacal laugh. Then he raised his mace at Thorin again, and brought it down. Livid, the King Under then Mountain raised his shield of oak but as he did so the mace struck with so much force that it sent him stumbling backwards, losing his footing and tumbling to the ground, striking his head hard on an exposed rock.

"Uncle!" cried Kili as he saw his lifelong mentor roll over and struggle to his hands and knees. Thorin was reeling from the blow, and could barely keep his balance, but his dazed eyes met Kili's with determination and fear.

Kili glared at Azog with the utmost loathing, but the orc just took a step towards where he bent over his brother. Steeling himself, Kili rose to his feet, Fili's sword clutched in his bloodless fingers. He swayed slightly, his head pounding and his left hand trembling violently against his chest, but he met the Pale Orc's gaze without a waver. He would not go down without a fight.

The first blow Kili dodged, and the second, rolling over on the ground and rising to his feet immediately, the world spinning around him. For some reason there were three Azogs standing in front of him instead of one, and they were all pulling out short but wickedly pointed knives with their ugly substitutes for hands. When all three moved at once, he blocked the middle one and suddenly the outside ones disappeared, leaving only the one whose knife was locked with his sword. He barely had time to duck before the mace swooped over his head, missing him by mere inches, but when the knife broke away suddenly then stabbed low, he was not quick enough.

Shock was the only thing Kili felt as the knife plunged into his midriff, just above his right hip. It sunk to the handle before he could pull away, staggering backwards with it still sticking out of him. He dropped Fili's sword from his good arm and moved his hand to the wound, the cries of both Fili and his uncle bouncing around inside his head. He couldn't quite take in what had just happened. Suddenly his knees gave way and he was on the ground, Azog leering over him.

"You are weak," he mocked, "you are going to die now,"

"No!" came the yell of Thorin, and Azog turned. Thorin was on his feet again, his feet in a fighting stance.

"How about this, Oakenshield. I let you decide which one dies first," the Pale Orc sneered gleefully.

"Never," growled Thorin, also stepping towards his nephews, but Azog was a lot closer to them and could easily get there before he did.

"Have it your way," leered the orc, "but the alternative is that I torture each of them and then leave them to die of their wounds,"

"You will have to go through me first," Thorin replied, taking a few more steps towards Fili and Kili.

Azog smiled, though it was more like a snarl. "Then you will get your wish, Oakenshield. But I will make your death long and painful, and once you are unable to fight back I will make you watch me torture your precious heirs until they beg for death,"

_No, no please Mahal no_, thought Kili, _what did I do to deserve orc torture once, let alone twice? Please let it be swift, please let it be painless, but do what you want to me if only you spare Fili._

He watched Thorin step forward to meet Azog with bated breath, clutching Fili's hand tightly. He only realised now that he had fallen directly next to his brother. No orcs were attacking them any more; maybe because Azog had marked them as his own prey, or maybe because they looked like they were already dead. It was a blessing for now, but it would be a curse later.

Thorin's sword met Azog's mace with a resounding clang, then the Dwarf King spun round and blocked the mace again with his shield while striking forward with his sword at Azog's legs. Azog quickly sidestepped and brought his mace down again; it struck Thorin's shield with enough force to send Thorin reeling backwards, but he stayed on his feet this time. Kili could barely tear his eyes away from the scene, until he heard Fili's pained whimper beside him.

"We're going to die, aren't we Kee?" Fili's voice was barely more than a whisper, and as he spoke more blood trickled out of his mouth.

Kili had been resigned to death once before. It was not a feeling he would forget. The pain, the regret for what he was leaving behind, the complete hopelessness that came with the knowledge that it all ended here. That was what he felt now, amid the pain in his abdomen and the agony in his heart. He would do anything for it not to end this way; not for him and not for his brother.

"No, Fee, we're going to hold on, all right?" Kili spoke with all the strength and conviction he could muster, "we'll hold on, and uncle will kill Azog and the battle will be over and the elves will come and rescue us,"

Fili just closed his eyes and gave another weak cough. A droplet of blood landed on Kili's neck, but he didn't wipe it off. He just reached his good arm round his brother and held him close, for what might be the last time in this life. Fili was right, he had to admit. They would probably wake up in the halls of Mahal before this battle was over.

* * *

><p>"Amras, look!" called Lenwë, observing a scene downhill from where they stood: the Pale Orc - surrounded by an impenetrable ring of bodyguards - seemed to be engaged in a duel. The elf couldn't see who he was fighting, despite his higher vantage point, so he guessed it was a dwarf.<p>

Amras paused alongside him and followed his gaze. "That doesn't look good. We should see who he's fighting,"

"No, it's too dangerous," Lenwë shook his head.

"Who else is going to get a chance to kill Azog?" pointed out Amras, "I think it's worth a shot, if it could finish off the brute,"

Lenwë looked unconvinced, but dutifully followed Amras down the hill, shooting and retrieving arrows as he went. The other elf had also picked up on his trick, and now they both had almost full quivers.

A gap opened wide enough for them to catch a glimpse of Azog's mace, and a glowing blue sword that battled it fiercely.

"I recognise that sword!" frowned Amras, "I'm certain that was one we confiscated,"

"It must be Orcrist!" exclaimed Lenwë, "that means it's Thorin Oakenshield fighting,"

"What?" asked Amras, confused.

"Never mind," replied Lenwë, remembering that the other member of the guard hadn't been part of the plan to return the dwarves' weapons to them, "it looks like he needs help,"

"I thought dwarves prefer to fight their own battles," said Amras doubtfully.

"What, and die? If Thorin can kill Azog, then this battle's won," argued Lenwë.

"It is not our place to step in. This is not our business," Amras wasn't so convinced now of his own words. He just didn't want to make a huge mistake.

"We live in this world. Azog is our enemy, just as he is Thorin's," Lenwë was already fitting an arrow to his bowstring.

"Don't -" began Amras, but Lenwë released the arrow. It flew in an arc, and would have pierced Azog in the eye had its flight path been true, but it was an orcish arrow and instead it scraped past Azog's ear, eliciting a roar of anger from the orc but not harming him except for a shallow scratch. Lenwë cursed, and fitted another arrow - one of his own, this time.

Amras looked at him bemusedly. "Was that dwarvish I just heard?"

Lenwë shrugged, carefully aiming his arrow. "Well they can't expect to keep their whole language a secret when they swear in it so often,"

As Amras dispatched an orc in the arrow's flight path, Lenwë's bow twanged and the second arrow was released. This time it flew straight and true, however at that moment Azog let out a bellow of triumph and raised his head into the air, and the arrow found a spot just above his pale, exposed collarbone. The triumph instantly turned to rage, and he looked around for his assailant, but Amras and Lenwë had already taken flight down the slope towards him, their heads becoming lost amongst the taller orcs.

They broke through the circle of bodyguards almost without realising it; and maybe that was why it was so easy. One moment they were surrounded on all sides, the next they were in the open space at the middle of the circle, a clear view of Azog battling Thorin in front of them. Thorin looked livid, and had eyes only for his arch enemy. His right arm was bloody but still held his sword, and more blood flowed down one side of his face, but he was on his feet and facing off an enraged Azog with outstanding courage. As for the orc's wounds, the arrow no longer stuck out of his shoulder but lay broken on the ground beside him, and there was a large gash in his leg which was making him limp slightly. His prosthetic arm had been cut in half, but no blood flowed from metal and it didn't seem to faze the orc at all. Luckily for the pair of elves, Azog did not notice them.

Amras's gaze dropped to the ground, where Lenwë was already staring in shock, and he felt as if he had been physically struck in the chest. The two dwarves who had stayed in Mirkwood for so long lay curled around each other, pale and bloody, one of them with a knife in his stomach and the other with a large indent in his side which looked like a wound from a mace. At first Amras thought they were dead.

"No..." he whispered, and dropped silently to his knees beside them, Lenwë remaining on his feet and keeping an eye on Azog lest the orc notice them.

Amras had not felt so guilty since his brother's death. It was clear for anyone to see: these dwarves did not deserve to die. They were noble and loyal and young. But when had Amras ever shown a spot of kindness for them? He had used his head, and he had kept his promise, but only now did he know in his gut that he had been wrong, that he had underestimated these dwarves, and that they were both twice the person he would ever be. They loved each other. Amras had never bothered himself to care for another person that much, not even his own brother. And even now that he was one hundred and seventy years too late, he still regretted it.

These dwarves weren't to blame for his brother's death. Why had he even disliked them in the first place? Because he was a hostile, aggressive, suspicious, racist person, who needed someone to take out his hate on. But as he looked down on Fili and Kili, curled in the foetal position around each other, he felt all his hate dissipate and an overriding sense of unfairness take its place.

That was when he noticed Kili's chest rising and falling slowly and shallowly. His heart began to beat faster, and he pressed two fingers to Fili's neck to check for a pulse. Weak, but there. He turned to Lenwë.

"We need to bring the King. He's the best healer. We need to find him and bring him here, quickly, before it's too late," he ordered.

"They're alive?" exclaimed Lenwë in surprise.

Amras nodded, "yes, but barely. Neither of us are healers, we need the King,"

"Yes, sir," Lenwë gave a short salute, and Amras suddenly realised that he was second-in-command, so he was Lenwë's superior. He had completely forgotten in the heat of the battle.

Amras jumped to his feet and drew his knives again. He was loathe to leave the dwarves here unprotected, but to stay here would be to eventually be noticed by Azog, drawing attention to the dwarves and inviting certain death at the hands of the orc. They would be much better going as a pair, and then they had a better chance of getting to Ravenhill and back alive.

* * *

><p>Thorin noticed the elves subconsciously, but he paid them no heed. He was too busy fighting with Azog to be able to concentrate on anything but staying alive. His fury mixed with his grief and pain gave each of his moves more power than he would have been able to muster otherwise, and the orc seemed genuinely surprised at his strength. <em>Stupid orc. He should know the strength of the line of Durin by now.<em>

Azog was also limping. Thorin had the arrow to thank for that - the second one, which had pierced the orc's shoulder. He had just been knocked to the ground, winded, and Azog had been just about to deliver the death blow, when it had zoomed out of nowhere and distracted the orc long enough for Thorin to leap to his feet and drive his sword deep into the Pale Orc's thigh. The battle had been a bit more evenly matched after that.

But Fili and Kili still lay curled at the other side of the circle formed by the bodyguards of Azog, and Thorin didn't know if either of them was still alive. He suspected that they both were, or Azog would not have threatened to torture them, but something also told him that the orc would threaten anything just to put off his enemies. Each circumstance gave him more resolve to beat his nemesis: if they were both still alive, he would not allow Azog to touch them again; if one was alive but not the other, he would beat Azog to spare the living one the burden of the crown of Erebor; and if neither was alive, he'd be damned before he let that orc end the line of Durin, and he would make him pay. He would deal with his own self-loathing later.

He ducked a wild swing of Azog's mace, then brought his sword hard upwards to strike the orc's belly, but it was blocked and he was thrown backwards again. Raising his sword in front of him he charged forward, a quick volley of strikes keeping the orc hard-put to keep up with parrying, but then Azog raised the metal stump on the end of his arm - recently broken by Thorin's sword, but still sharp and jagged - and slashed across Thorin's face with it. A bright red streak appeared from his cheekbone to the bridge of his nose, and a river of blood pooled then dripped down his face and into his beard. He bared his teeth like an animal.

Azog's mace came across again, and Thorin blocked it, then he blocked the metal arm that came round from the other side. He tried to get in a strike of his own, but Azog was too quick. The mace came down on the back of his collarbone like the hammer of Mahal, and Thorin was on his knees before he could blink, his right arm dangling uselessly at his side. Still he would not give in. His left hand gripped his oaken shield firmly and he brought it up just in time to stop Azog's mace crashing into his skull and ending his life. He scrambled to his feet, clumsy without the use of his right arm, and adjusted his grip on his shield. For yet another time in his life, Thorin was facing Azog the Pale Orc with only an oaken shield for protection; he had survived before, and he would again now. But the mace swung round once, twice, three times, and Thorin was only just quick enough to block it the third time so when Azog's arm bent once again and struck the other side, the King Under the Mountain was not so lucky. The mace found his abdomen and left its gruesome mark there. Before Thorin was even on the ground, Azog's mace was racing towards his head. He turned his face away, preparing for the inevitable, but when he hit the ground his skull was intact and the spikes of the mace were not inside him.

An animalistic roar mingled with guttural orc cries, and Thorin raised his head to see Beorn in his bear form, barrelling into Azog with his enormous weight, the orc crying out in shock and anger but being cut short as Beorn's teeth ripped into his neck, thus ending his life. Thorin could have cried with joy - but he was not one to cry, nor celebrate joy when there were grimmer things to acknowledge. He struggled to his feet, watching the great bear with awe as he took down one orc after another with just teeth and claws, weapons bouncing off him as if he was made of stone. Thorin's eyes then fell to his nephews, lying where they had been since Kili had faced off Azog alone and got a knife wound for his bravery.

Ignoring all his own wounds, Thorin closed the distance between himself and the pair huddled on the ground in a few swift strides, falling to his knees beside them and putting his head in his hand - the left one, since his right still dangled uselessly by his side. He had failed his nephews. This was all his fault for being so blind, when the truth had been put out in front of him on a plate. Mahal, it had been shouted in his face! How had he not seen it until it was too late? Fili and Kili had both demonstrated unwavering loyalty, honour, and a willing heart - wasn't that all he had asked of them? They, of all his company, had been the ones to stand up to him because they wanted desperately what was best for him, and he - for a reason he himself could not explain - had seen that as treason and treachery and caused them more pain and trouble. They, of all his company, had been the ones to face the Pale Orc to save his life. They had defended him with all they had. He did not deserve their loyalty. He did not deserve to be their Uncle, let alone their King. Now that Azog was gone, the one person Thorin hated most in the world...was himself. He cursed the Arkenstone and all the treasure in Erebor with every fibre of his being, for blinding him to the most precious jewels of all. He had been wrong, oh so wrong, all this time, and now he was paying the price.

Tears trickled down his bloody and grimy cheeks unbidden, and he tried to blink them back but they would not stop. Ever so gently, he brushed his fingers through Kili's wild mane of dark hair, like his own but without the streaks of grey. They were both so young, so full of life. He would never forgive himself if he lost them now. He could see the irregular rise and fall of Fili's chest, watched how Kili's thumb moved back and forth on his brother's hand - that meant that Kili at least had some consciousness.

"I'm sorry," Thorin muttered, hoping that Fili could also hear him. He meant it from the bottom of his heart, and he didn't know how to express the depth of his sorrow. "I'm sorry Kili, I'm sorry Fili, I have failed you both,"

"No, Uncle," Kili raised his head a fraction and looked into Thorin's face. His dark eyes had surprising clarity, and he reached out with his trembling left hand to grasp Thorin's - the other one was still stroking Fili's.

"I'm sorry," Thorin said again, bowing his head and noticing how swollen Kili's wrist was and how his fingers shook. The roars of Beorn in the background as he circled the three Durins in protection seemed to fade away and all Thorin could see and hear were his nephews.

"T's not your fault, Uncle," Kili said softly, "you fought Azog,"

"But I didn't protect you," said Thorin huskily.

"Yes you did. Azog never got round to that...that torturing," Kili shuddered, then flinched as the knife shifted slightly inside of him. He squeezed his eyes shut against the pain, breathing deeply.

"Hold on, Kili," Thorin urged, holding his nephew's shivering hand tighter. Kili let out a sigh and relaxed slightly, but his eyes remained closed.

Thorin urgently wanted someone to tell him whether Fili and Kili would live or not, and whether he had any cause to hold on to the tiny glimmer of hope that still remained, but he realised that knowing wouldn't help either of his nephews; what he really needed was a healer, but he didn't even know if Oin would be able to do anything for the boys. He didn't know anything. All he could do was hold Kili's hand and hope.

* * *

><p>Legolas had reached Ravenhill not long ago, but to his dismay the fighting had been too frantic for any elf with healing abilities to be spared. His father had given him some stern words about straying from the southern spur, but Legolas was more worried for Tauriel, whom he had managed to carry (at a diminished pace) all the way without further injury. Taking shelter behind his father's lines, he had used strips of his own tunic to staunch the bleeding of his friend's shoulder, and he had taken a closer look at the head wound and concluded that it was not too bad - but then again, what did he know about healing?<p>

Now he was beside his father with his bow and a new quiver of arrows, dispatching any orcs who got too close to where Tauriel lay recovering. She was still unconscious, but Legolas thought she might be beginning to come round because she was stirring and muttering nonsense words, amongst which Legolas caught his own name a few times, and Kili's name a lot. He hoped that the dwarves had reunited, and that they were both all right.

Even as he said it, he had a sinking feeling that they were not. As he spotted Amras and Lenwë running up the hill towards him and his father, he knew instinctively that they were bringing bad news. Notching an arrow, he shot an orc that was giving Lenwë a bit of trouble, then held his breath as the pair of guards reached the top of the hill and addressed Thranduil.

"Your majesty, you must come quickly!" panted Amras, out of breath.

"It's the dwarves, they've been hurt by Azog," said Lenwë urgently, and Legolas's heart jumped to his mouth,

"Kili's been stabbed and Fili's ribs have been crushed by a mace, I think he's punctured a lung," added Amras, "they'll die for sure if you don't come quickly,"

Thranduil's eyes narrowed momentarily as he thought on the news. Legolas watched him with bated breath, remembering a time when he had made a similar plea to his father - with a negative outcome. Had anything changed since then or would the Elvenking's reluctance to come to the aid of other races be Fili and Kili's death sentence?

"What of our own injured?" asked Thranduil, "we have our own to care for, would you exchange their lives for these?"

Legolas glanced back at Tauriel, and saw with a shock that she was wide awake and had pushed herself into a half-sitting position. The look on her face told him that she had heard everything.

"Father, you are the only one with the expertise to help Fili and Kili," Legolas spoke up, "whereas here we have other healers who can work in your absence,"

Thranduil seemed to consider this for a moment, then said: "Very well, I will go. Legolas, I expect you to stay here and command our warriors. Do not let the orcs overrun this hill,"

"I understand, father," Legolas dipped his head gratefully. Thranduil regarded his son for a moment, then nodded in approval before turning to beckon a couple of healers who were fighting not far away and following Lenwë and Amras down the hill into the battle.

"Thank you, Legolas," came Tauriel's voice from behind him. He turned to see her with a tear trickling down her face, and noticed the way she flinched whenever she moved her shoulder.

Ignoring the battle, he crouched down beside her and pulled her into a gentle hug.

"They'll be holding on, I know it," he said firmly.

Tauriel smiled weakly. "They're dwarves, what else would they be doing?"

"Father will find them and heal them, I promise,"

"No, don't make promises for other people. It's just enough that your father is going to help them,"

Legolas smiled sadly. "All right. But Mahal, I don't know what's going to happen if we lose them,"

"They will not give up so easily. Hopefully we won't have to worry about that,"

* * *

><p>Fili could hear his uncle talking softly, felt the strong, thick hand stroking though his hair and his messy braids, and yet he couldn't move. It took all his effort just to breathe. The pain in his leg had gone down to throbbing waves, but the angry dent in his side felt like fire and would have taken his breath away even if his lungs hadn't been slowly but surely filling with blood. A part of him wanted it to end now, for it all to be over, and for there to be no more pain, despite the knowledge that the battle was nearly finished, but the stronger, more resilient part of him kept on telling him not to give up, that help was on its way and that Kili needed him. With the small bit of strength he had, he gave Kili's hand a weak squeeze to let his brother know that he was still there. He received a small pressure back. They did not need words.<p>

He could tell that Kili was holding on too. The knife in his brother's stomach had not killed him yet, which gave Fili hope that it had not hit any vital organs. Then again, he could not tell how much pain his brother was in, only that it was a lot. Who knew how slowly a knife could kill you? But if Kili was fighting it, Fili would too. They would survive together. Thorin's rhythmic stroking of his hair continued unfalteringly.

Dim words swam through Fili's mind, blurred through the pain like words on a sheet of parchment drifting in a lake. He could not put a name to the voices, apart from that of his uncle. Thorin sounded threatening. But then there was a resigned note in his next sentence, of which Fili could not pick out the words. An unfamiliar touch upon his neck, checking for a pulse. The fingers were cold and smooth, and certainly not dwarvish. Fili wondered if the battle was truly over now, and the healers had arrived. If they had, he wanted them to look at Kili first.

But as his tunic and chainmail were pulled completely away from his chest, Fili felt his brother's hand tugging away from his and he opened his eyes desperately, trying to see who was taking his Kee away from him. A vaguely familiar elf was bending over his brother, not a guard or a cook. A healer, maybe? That would make sense. Then was it another healer bending over him, feeling the irregular bumps of his broken ribs with feather light fingers?

He heard Kili's shout of protest as their hands were separated, the sound turning quickly into a cry of pain from the movement. Fili tried to shout, to tell them that he needed his Kee right here and that they couldn't take him away, but no sound came from his mouth but the gurgle of blood in his throat. He snapped his mouth closed quickly and tried to breathe through his nose, but however much he tried he could not get enough oxygen. His breaths were shallow and hitched and completely inadequate.

Thorin's face came into his field of vision and met Fili's eyes with unprecedented concern. Unable to speak, Fili frowned and hoped his uncle would understand that he wanted information. His wish was granted immediately, and Fili felt immensely grateful for his uncle's ability to read his mind, a gift which surfaced now and again when he wanted it to.

"Fili, the Elvenking is here and he is healing you," Thorin spoke gravely and with a slight frown that said that he did not quite approve of the elf touching his nephew, "you must not try and move while he examines your wounds,"

Too weak to move his head and nod, Fili blinked slowly to show that he had understood. Thorin gave him a comforting smile, gripping his hand tightly.

"They say Kili will recover. They are setting up healing tents, and will take him there to draw the knife out,"

Fili even managed a smile of thanks at that; it meant the world to him, hearing that his brother would be all right. But a second later, his chest suddenly needed to rid itself of some fluid and he gave a heavy cough, pain ricocheting across his ribs and through his lungs, the iron taste of blood in his mouth. He wheezed, and coughed again, curling up as small as he could make himself as if that would diminish the hurting, and he gripped Thorin's hand until his knuckles were white and bloodless. Thorin squeezed back with almost equal pressure, as though their connection was Fili's lifeline.

"We'll have to do it here, it's too risky to move him," came the voice of one of the elves.

"We must be swift, too," said Thranduil, "but it would be better if he is unconscious, any struggling could easily worsen the injury,"

"What are you -" came Thorin's irritated voice, before Fili felt something being put under his nose and the world turned grey and fuzzy.


	35. Chapter 35

_Good news! There will be at least two chapters after this, not just one. I'm exhausted from all that angst last chapter, though! It was bad enough having to read and re-read the battle part of The Hobbit - especially that one sentence that sends a morgul arrow through my heart every time :'( I'm sure you know which one I mean. One sentence, and it hurts so much!_

_Thank you my wonderful reviewers, you give me strength for the final stretch of this story: **sailor-starlight101**, **jaymzNshed**, **Syblime**, **tygrislily**, **Whitepurity**, **FanOfRandomThings**, **fixusi**, **GregsMadHatter**, **leggomygreggo2** and **FoxmistXFeatherdark**._

* * *

><p>When Fili woke again, he was not staring up at the darkening night sky any more. He was looking at a light brown canvas ceiling - and he was lying on something soft. Not a bed. A bedroll, then. Several, stacked on top of each other for maximum comfort. And he could breathe. He closed his eyes in peace for a moment, taking a deep breath - then letting out a short cry of surprise as pain spiked up in his lung. It took a few moments to fade, and even then it did not vanish completely. Fili did not take any more deep breaths after that.<p>

On top of him was a clean white sheet, topped with several warm rugs, and he could feel bandages wrapped tightly around his right leg. It stung only a little now. He wondered how many days had passed. And where was that brother of his? He had to be close. Turning his head slowly to the right side, he saw to his surprise Thorin, sleeping peacefully for once, a slight frown on his face like usual. Fili smiled. If his uncle was asleep, it had to be quite early in the morning. His uncle was like Bard when it came to getting out of bed; it just took him a while to become amicable in the mornings...if you could ever call Thorin amicable.

Turning his head to the other side, Fili saw the unruly dark hair of his brother splayed across a pillow, his face turned away. He was about to close his eyes and go back to sleep, when he saw that Kili's chest was rising and falling faster than it did when he was slumbering. After years of sleeping next to his brother, Fili rarely missed these things.

He called out in a whisper "Psst, Kili!" and gladly found that he could make a noise without too much effort.

Kili rolled over with a grunt, his face splitting into a grin when he saw that Fili was awake. "Took you long enough!"

Finding his position awkward, Fili began to move his arms to push himself up a bit, but the sheets were tucked in at the sides tightly so that he could not raise himself. As they pressed against his chest, pain flared up again across his ribs and he let out a short gasp, slumping back onto the pillow. Kili saw the movement, and his expression momentarily changed to panic.

"No no no no, don't try and get up, you need to stay still. The healer said you're not to move,"

Fili gritted his teeth and waited for the pain to die down, determined not to let Kili see how much it hurt; it would only make him worry unnecessarily. Once it was at a bearable level, he turned his head cautiously to look at his brother, who was watching him with a worried expression.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Two days. I was asleep for one, after they knocked me out so they could draw that damned knife out of me. I think the elves overestimated how much it takes to knock out a dwarf,"

Fili grinned, "it's the reputation we made, I'm sure,"

"Hard headed, rock solid, stubborn as stone sort of thing?"

"Not sure how they inferred that from you..."

"Come on, Fili, I fought across half a battlefield to get to you,"

"Then got bashed up by orcs. How's your arm?"

"Still painful," Kili grimaced, "but it works well enough. Better an arm than an ankle, is what I say. At least I can still walk around - if I'm ever allowed out of this bed. How's your leg?"

"Itchy," admitted Fili, "but it doesn't hurt too much. What's with all the blankets?" He noticed that Kili did not seem to have quite the same number.

"So you don't get pneumonia or anything that might have you coughing your lungs out again. You had a tube coming out of you when I woke up, you know that?"

"A _what_?" Fili spluttered.

"That's right, a tube. It didn't stick around for long though,"

"So how long until I can get out of bed?" asked Fili, "did anyone say?"

"No, the healers have too many patients to stick around anywhere for long," replied Kili, "I've seen about one since they brought you in here,"

They fell silent, taking a moment to acknowledge the cost their victory had come at. Then, eventually, Fili spoke again.

"What about the rest of the company? And is Tauriel all right?"

"Yes, apparently Legolas found her," Kili replied with a slight frown, "I heard she had a concussion, and her shoulder got bitten by a warg, but the healer says she's recovering, just like everyone else. I couldn't get any more details. And none of the company got out completely unscathed, but none are any worse than us," he grinned sheepishly.

"The Burglar?"

"Barely a scratch on him. He came in here yesterday, but only because Uncle requested it. He wanted to say sorry for all the trouble over the Arkenstone. I got that talk as well, so when he wakes up prepare to insist that none of it is his fault and that you completely forgive him,"

Fili sighed - he should have seen this coming. "Don't worry, I will. How is he?"

"Nothing too bad, just cuts and a lot of bruising where that mace hit, and he had a dislocated shoulder or something but apparently the healers just popped it back in. Again, not as bad as us," Kili suddenly frowned pensively, "he fought for a long time with Azog, and he said it seemed as if every time he thought he was going to lose, something came and saved him. First us, then that arrow that came out of nowhere, and then Beorn,"

"Beorn?" Fili's eyes widened.

"You didn't see him? He basically won the whole battle. Took down Azog then circled you, me and Uncle until the Elvenking came. But Uncle is determined to find out who fired that arrow. When he was awake he was driving the healer mad with questions - he was worse than me! I think that might be why no healers have come back since then,"

Fili chuckled, ignoring the slight pain it caused. "I suppose if any one of those things hadn't happened, the battle would have gone a lot differently, wouldn't it?"

"That's Uncle's train of thought. I still don't think he's going to find them, though,"

"What sort of arrow was it?"

"Elvish. Doesn't necessarily mean an elf fired it, but it most likely was. What surprised me most was how Uncle didn't even get annoyed about it. I think he's changed his view on elves a bit,"

"Talking of elves - how are the guard? And Legolas?"

"What about me?" came the Elf Prince's voice from the doorway of the Durin tent, and both dwarves turned their heads to look at him. He had one hand bandaged, but all in all there seemed nothing else wrong with him.

"Where've you been, taking a stroll through Rivendell? Did you get a paper-cut on your finger?" Fili remarked cheekily

"No, I was in the battle thank you very much," Legolas clarified, lowering himself down so that he sat cross-legged at the end of Fili and Kili's bedrolls, "there are bandages under here," he gestured to his arm, where his sleeve bulged slightly, "and I broke a couple of fingers. It's quite painful, actually,"

"Don't talk to me about broken bones," Kili rolled his eyes, "fingers, indeed. You think that's painful? Try an arm. Or an ankle,"

Legolas regarded him bemusedly for a moment, then said, "you do seem to get more than your fair share of injuries, don't you?"

"What, just me, or the dwarven race as a whole? We do seem to attract trouble like gold attracts dragons," said Kili.

"I think that was your problem to begin with," chuckled Legolas, "too much gold, and a greedy dragon,"

"Good job Uncle's giving some of it away then," said Fili, " - he still is, isn't he?"

"That, and more," Kili confirmed, "he's giving one fourteenth _each_ to Bard, Thranduil and Dain, and sending the rest of the hoard to be hidden somewhere deep in Erebor where no one descended from Durin can know. I think the battle was just the shock he needed to overcome the gold sickness, despite it's cost,"

"That, or seeing you two dying in each other's arms," said Legolas seriously, "I don't think I've ever seen him as grim as he was when he returned to the camp with you, Fili. That was when I heard the whole story from Amras,"

"Amras?" frowned Fili, inviting the elf to elaborate.

"He's the one you have to thank that my father reached you as quickly as he did. You might not have lasted much longer, otherwise. He and Lenwë saw you on the battlefield and came to Ravenhill as quickly as they could to tell my father and bring him to you,"

"Wow...I...never expected that of Amras," admitted Kili, "we'll have to thank him when we see him, and Lenwë too,"

"Battle has weird effects on people sometimes," observed Legolas, "mostly negative, but there's the odd positive one here and there,"

"I don't think I'm going to forget it any time soon," Kili's expression darkened, "I can't stop thinking about all the horrible things I saw happening to people out there,"

Legolas nodded sympathetically, "I know exactly what you mean. It's worse that I knew so many of the people who were lost - my people, who it is my duty to protect,"

Fili shared a look with Kili, then said, "I suppose we don't have that, since Erebor isn't quite a kingdom yet. I'm not sure if I want that burden,"

"You will bear your duty well, whatever burdens may be put upon you," Legolas smiled softly, "your people will love you,"

"Was...was there anyone we knew?" asked Kili quietly.

The elf seemed to gather himself for a moment before bowing his head and replying, "Yes,"

The dwarves waited for him to continue, and after a long pause, he did.

"It's why you haven't see Tauriel yet. She hasn't left her tent since the dead were counted. She lost many friends and comrades," he paused again, then said, "Rúthen fell. He led the first charge against the orcs, and saved many of his comrades' lives before he was finally cut down. Even then, he didn't give up - where they found him on the battlefield, there were at least half a dozen orc corpses with ankle wounds,"

There was a long silence, in which all three mourned their friend deeply. Fili felt a large lump form in his throat, and tried hard to swallow it down so that he didn't start choking on it. Then Legolas spoke again, his voice a thin waver which shocked Fili to hear.

"Gildor is gravely injured. We don't know how long it will be, but the healers think it's only a matter of time. Golradir hasn't left his side, and he's fading too, though not from injuries,"

"Is there nothing they can do?" Kili asked, wide eyed and fearful.

"They are trying everything," said Legolas sadly, "but they cannot get his fever down,"

"Oin knows some stuff about fevers," frowned Fili, "there might be something he can help with,"

"I doubt he knows anything that is better than what the healers are trying already," Legolas said dubiously.

"Probably not, but he'll know some different stuff," Kili said slowly, catching on to his brother's train of thought, "it might not be much on its own, but if it could work alongside whatever Elven healing techniques they're using..."

"I will suggest it to them," promised Legolas, "it can't hurt to try,"

"Were there...any more?" questioned Fili softly.

"Just Elu who you knew, I think. He fell with Rúthen. There were also many others who you did not know, and I would speak all their names now if only it would bring them back, but nothing can be done now, _nothing_," Legolas broke off bitterly, "I wish that this had never happened. It's all right to say that we got through it alive, but what about all those who didn't? What about all those good elves and dwarves and men who didn't deserve to die? Believe me, I would give anything for a chance to extinguish the evil at its source so that the rest of the world could live in peace and happiness forevermore,"

"You can never fully get rid of evil," pointed out Kili, "it always comes back,"

"But we can keep fighting it," Legolas turned to him, "we can drive it further and further away until it is but a distant memory,"

"Perhaps that is what will happen once we put aside our differences and all work together," remarked Fili with a shrug - then he winced as his ribs moved. He felt a sudden deep pang of sympathy for his brother after the torture in the forest.

"Fili - are you all right?" Kili questioned, a worried frown appearing on his face.

"Yes...yes, I'm fine," Fili gritted his teeth and then relaxed as the pain faded, "Legolas, do you know how long we have to stay here?"

"No, the healers are rather spaced out right now," said Legolas apologetically, "but I think they plan to move everything up to the mountain as soon as possible. Once the snow comes we mustn't still be out here,"

"That's a good point," said Fili, "the mountain may need a bit of clearing up, but it's sheltered,"

A bang, and a shout of surprise came from outside, and a moment later the raised voice of Thranduil drifted in.

"Mithrandir, I would kindly ask you not to set off fireworks in future to get my attention! There is such a thing as asking,"

"I was not aware that my fireworks are hurting anybody?"

"This is a camp made mostly of wood, Mithrandir."

"My dear Elvenking, do suppose I have not thought of that? I would never set off a firework that could cause such a thing,"

"All right, all right, but you realise that many patients here are suffering from shock? Do you wish to startle them further?"

"Of course not, I merely thought that a few fireworks would brighten up the place. It is rather gloomy, after all. But as for what I actually wanted to talk to you about -"

"I will not stand for fireworks in this camp!"

"Why, I believe you have made that point -"

"You will not set off any fireworks in my sight ever again!"

"But my dear Thranduil, you are missing out -"

"Or I will ask you to leave this camp immediately and banish you from the woodland realm!"

"A most foolish idea -"

"Get out of my sight!"

"Indeed! Stubborn as a dwarf..."

Gandalf's muttering trailed off as he walked away out of earshot, and the three in the tent who had heard the whole thing shared looks of amusement.

"Nice idea, a firework display," commented Kili.

Legolas's face suddenly fell. "I suppose I had better go and calm down father before he takes it out on anyone,"

"Can't someone else do it?" frowned Fili.

"Not really," sighed Legolas, getting to his feet, "I'll drop in again tomorrow probably, if I don't come later today,"

With that, he exited through the tent flap and Fili and Kili were left alone with a sleeping Thorin.

"I hope Tauriel's all right," muttered Kili, "she always feels guilty for things that aren't her fault,"

"She can't blame herself for the people who died in battle, that would be like blaming herself for the battle happening in the first place," said Fili reasonably.

"I know - but the guard were like her family. They were all brothers and sisters to her...Rúthen especially," Kili sighed.

"You should go and see her, once you can get out of bed," suggested Fili, "it might help,"

Kili looked at his brother in surprise, a hopeful gleam coming to his eyes. "You...you don't mind?" he asked hesitantly, half afraid of the answer.

Fili shook his head with a smile. "It's your choice, brother,"

The biggest grin yet split Kili's face. "I would give you a hug if I could reach you from here,"

"Good job you can't, my ribs don't feel up to hugs any time soon," chuckled Fili, leaning his head back on his pillow and scratching his beard thoughtfully, glancing over to their Uncle. He found it unusual that Thorin had not woken all through their conversation with Legolas, but he still breathed deeply and evenly and did not make a sound.

Wait. He did not make a sound. Thorin was one of the loudest snorers of the company.

"...Uncle?"

No reply.

"Uncle, I can tell you're awake,"

With a grunt, Thorin rolled over to face Fili, his eyes open and alert. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and regarded his nephews pensively.

Kili frowned, "Uncle, how long have you been listening to us?"

"The whole time," answered Thorin, "I heard Fili wake up,"

"Why didn't you tell us?" exclaimed Fili.

"There was no reason to," Thorin raised an eyebrow, "I learned quite a lot from just listening,"

"Like...what?" asked Kili slowly, and Fili tried to think back on their whole conversation to pick out any bits that he wouldn't have wanted his uncle to hear. At least Kili hadn't declared his affections for Tauriel outright - that was one blessing. But Thorin might still pick up on it.

"I learned that I have been wrong about many things concerning elves - and concerning you. Fili, I have been the worst dwarf ever to walk this earth, and I do not deserve to be your uncle. I do not deserve to be King. If I renounce the throne, would you take it? For you are by far the better person for the role,"

"I..." Fili began, taken aback. He had not been expecting this.

"Don't you dare," growled Kili, "Thorin, don't you dare step away from that throne and force it on my brother,"

Thorin bowed his head. "You are right, Kili, and I am once again wrong. I would not give you that burden before you are ready, as ill-fitted as I am for the crown,"

"Uncle, you cannot say that you are ill-fitted for the crown," protested Fili, "you've been leading our people ever since Azanulbizar, and look how we made our lives in Ered Luin. Everyone admires you,"

"Not since that accursed gold-sickness," Thorin looked down at his hands, "everyone thinks I'm a mad, selfish, dishonourable -"

"You beat the gold-sickness, though," argued Kili, "and the elves think no worse of you than they did already, and the men couldn't care less now they're getting their gold, and Dain knows you weren't yourself but we blamed it on the dragon, not you,"

Thorin stared at Kili for a moment, as if he couldn't believe his ears.

"It's true, you'll get your reputation back easily," agreed Fili.

"The elves...Prince Legolas...he seemed to treat you as friends," Thorin frowned uncertainly.

"We are," confirmed Fili, "he has helped us innumerable times over the last few weeks,"

"Thranduil's son..." murmured Thorin, looking troubled.

"He's not like his father," Kili said quickly, "he was quite open towards us right from the start,"

"Well, I wouldn't say that," muttered Fili, "the first time I met him properly, he almost strangled me,"

"He _what_?" demanded Thorin, outraged, "and you said they were being hospitable!"

"They were by the time we wrote those letters, don't worry," Fili assured him, "it just took a little warming up,"

"What about the other elves? Did they give you any trouble?" Thorin looked concerned.

"No, not after Thranduil himself approved our stay - with a little persuasion," Kili shared a smirk with Fili, then frowned, "apart from Amras. But now it seems we owe him and Lenwë our lives,"

The older dwarf nodded, "I heard that bit. Elves are strange creatures; they can be aiming an arrow at you one moment and saving your life the next,"

"That's true," said Kili with a cheeky smirk, "isn't it, Fili? They can be dragging you into a river one moment and pulling you out the next,"

Fili rolled his eyes, "we weren't trying to drown each other, you know. And I don't recall you finding it so funny at the time,"

"What?" frowned Thorin, unable to catch on.

"Nothing," said Fili, "it doesn't matter,"

Thorin's eyes narrowed momentarily, unconvinced, but then he relaxed as Kili also shrugged. "Perhaps I ought to try harder with our alliance with the elves," he mused, "since you have been right about so many things so far,"

Fili smiled, seeing his expression mirrored on his brother's face. "I think that's a great idea,"

* * *

><p>"Let go of me! You...you spindly little...let me get up!"<p>

"Fine, let him try,"

"I tell you, I'm completely...ouch! Mahal, that hurts!"

"Nori, stop arguing with the elves,"

"Shut up, Dori, they weren't even letting me try. Look, I can stand!"

"I wish I had my notebook here, you would make a great sketch,"

"Shut up, Ori. What happened to the cute, timid little brother who came on this quest? I liked him, why can't I have him back?"

"I grew up,"

"Yeah, right. So mature,"

"I watched you almost become a warg's dinner,"

"Then how come you're joking about it?"

"Because it's over now, and I might as well. You standing like a drunken flamingo is hardly a joke to miss,"

"All right, stop it you two. We'll see Thorin and Fili and Kili soon enough," Dori broke in before the Elven healers got too agitated by the bickering and threw them out anyway.

"Any time that's not now is not soon enough," grumbled Ori.

"I don't see you trying to walk so you can see them sooner,"

"Because every time I sit up I see stars! I'd rather not have the silhouette of your head imprinted on the backs of my eyelids for eternity, thank you very much!

"Nori, lie back down. No one has been allowed in to see them yet, walking or not, so you can stop trying now. They don't want crowding. We go in one at a time. In the order that Thorin requests. And the only person he has requested so far is the Burglar. So shut up and wait patiently, or ask the elves to knock you out,"

Grumbling under his breath, Nori obediently lowered himself back down onto his bedroll.

"He'd better ask soon, or I'm going anyway,"

"Agreed."

* * *

><p>Just as the camp was beginning to grow dark, the Durin tent received another visitor. Thorin's eyes narrowed as the tall figure of the Elvenking stooped to get through the tent flap, then straightened up once inside.<p>

"I don't recall inviting you," Thorin monotoned.

"The camp is short of healers. I am doing my best to reduce the strain," replied Thranduil evenly, moving over to Fili where he lay on the bedrolls.

Thorin's expression of mistrust did not change, but he did not argue further, remembering how the Elvenking had saved Fili on the battlefield.

There was a tense silence as Thranduil worked, unwinding bandages from Fili's chest and gently applying lotion, avoiding the patches where the skin was still raw and healing, then covering the wound once again with clean bandages. The only noises Fili made all through it were a few sharp gasps of pain, when the Elvenking applied pressure to a particularly sensitive rib, and when it was over he breathed a slow sigh of relief.

Still in silence, Thranduil worked methodically around the three dwarves, checking their worst wounds, re-bandaging them with clean material, and moving on. There was a moment of awkwardness when he got to Thorin, but after the dwarf king gave a curt nod of assent, he simply got on with it and was soon done.

He was about to leave, when Thorin spoke stiffly.

"I...I apologise,"

Thranduil turned, surprised. Thorin held his gaze and continued.

"For all the trouble I have caused you with this foolhardy quest, and the entire matter over the gold. I apologise,"

A small crease appeared between the Elvenking's eyebrows, as he assessed Thorin.

"I would that our peoples live in peace, and I would make amends until not a scrap of enmity remains between us,"

To all the dwarves' surprise, the Elvenking gave a small and rather strained smile. "I too, apologise for the hindrance I caused you in the Greenwood. A foolish quest it might have been, but it was not my business to delay you. May a time of friendship come upon us now, and may it last with our kingdoms,"

Thranduil ducked through the tent flap once more, and then he was gone.

Thorin lay back on his pillow as if exhausted. "Well, that's done,"

Fili and Kili shared a wide grin.

* * *

><p>Night fell, and before they settled down to sleep Thorin promised his nephews that he would invite in the rest of the company in the morning. The King Under the Mountain was quick to start snoring once his head hit the pillow, but Kili didn't close his eyes, despite how exhausted he felt. He simply watched his brother attempt sleep for several hours, until Fili at last opened his eyes again, a haunted expression on his face.<p>

"It's horrible, isn't it?" Kili said quietly, and Fili's head snapped to his direction.

The older brother frowned. "Have you even tried to fall asleep?"

"I tried last night. Didn't work,"

"Do...do you get it too then?"

Kili nodded. "Every time I close my eyes I'm back on the battlefield,"

Fili let out a pained sigh. "Me too,"

There was a pause, then Kili asked, "which parts do you revisit most?"

"I...I see you, mostly. Facing various orcs. And...and losing," Fili screwed his eyes tightly shut, "half of it I know didn't even happen, because I see you die over and over again. But it seems so real,"

"I see you too. Mostly that moment just after you got hit by Azog's mace, when I didn't know if you were dead or alive. I also can't help imagining what the torture would have been like," Kili grimaced.

"I suppose you don't have to try too hard to imagine," Fili said sympathetically.

Kili sighed. "I wonder how Thorin does it,"

"Practise, I guess. He's had all the years since Azanulbizar to figure it out,"

"I don't think I'm ever going to figure it out,"

"You'll never know unless you keep trying,"

Kili made a face. "I'd rather not,"

"Kili, you can't go without sleep forever,"

"Neither can you,"

"Exactly, which is why I'm going to try again now," Fili looked scared, but determined.

"Are you sure?"

"Staying awake is hardly better,"

"Why?"

Fili grimaced. "...hurts,"

"Oh," Kili could see the effort it took his brother to admit it, and suddenly felt guilty that he hadn't found out before. He himself only felt a dull ache from the stitched up knife wound in his side. "Well, if you want to, I'm not stopping you. And I'll be right here,"

Fili smiled gratefully, then turned his head away and closed his eyes. Kili sighed. There were still many hours left until dawn. This was going to be a long and lonely night.

* * *

><p>Balin was abruptly awakened at about midnight by his brother's roar. Yawning and sitting up, he observed Dwalin tossing and turning in his bed, muttering in his sleep with the occasional yell like the one that had woken him up. He sighed. It had been like this after Azanulbizar, but much worse. At least this time they had not lost so many loved ones. There were precious few loved ones left to lose.<p>

A healer poked her pointy-eared head round the door, and Balin scowled at her.

"Would you kindly tell him to keep it down? There are patients trying to sleep,"

"If you haven't noticed, my brother is having a nightmare," Balin growled, "he'd stop if he could,"

The elf sighed in exasperation, then said, "is there nothing you can do?"

"Well...there is one thing that sometimes helps," Balin frowned, remembering the only method that ever worked. They hadn't done it for decades, but they had certainly laughed when they saw Fili and Kili doing the same on the quest.

Five minutes later, Balin's bedroll was pulled up next to Dwalin's, though not without a little scepticism from the healer, and Balin was climbing back under the covers next to his brother. Dwalin still tossed and turned, but as soon as he felt his brother's hand on his shoulder he calmed down a little, and eventually the muttering died down to a low rumble.

"He will be fine now," Balin told the healer curtly, and she nodded, smiled, then left them in peace.

Making himself comfortable, Balin closed his eyes peacefully. Within moments, he was asleep again, curled up with his brother just like in those precious times of old.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, and Kili was finding it hard to stop drifting off. He could never fall into a deep sleep but his exhausted body kept pulling him into a trance-like daydream which was just as bad as the nightmares. Eventually, he could not stand it. He sat bolt upright on the bedrolls, clutching his left arm and pressing it whenever he thought he was drifting off, the pain bringing him back to reality each time.<p>

Another vision that visited him almost as often as Fili-and-Azog's-mace and torture-that-might-have-happened was the memory of Tauriel the moment she fell. The worst thing about that memory was the fact that he hadn't seen her since that incident, so there were no new memories to block out that one. Whenever he thought of her, that was what he saw.

It didn't help that he knew that she was sitting alone somewhere, wallowing in sorrow. He could not imagine her pain; to lose Rúthen when he had been quite a good friend was one thing, but Tauriel had known him for...hundreds of years, probably. Kili had never thought to ask. It didn't bear thinking about.

Kili couldn't ignore it. Tauriel couldn't be left alone to drown in her grief. He guessed that Legolas had tried to comfort her, but clearly he hadn't been successful. Making up his mind, Kili steadily rose to his feet, ignoring the protests of his abdomen but equally taking care not to burst his stitches. His arm had not been put in a sling, the assumption being made that he would not be getting up, but that was a good thing because he needed it for balance. His injuries combined with the insomnia meant that it was quite hard to walk in a straight line. He suppressed a chuckle, imagining the sort of comment Bofur would make if he could see Kili staggering around like a drunkard.

By the time he reached the tent flap, Kili was exhausted. He dropped to his hands and knees and crawled through the opening, not bothering to check if anyone outside was watching. He wasn't worrying about being caught, he just wanted to find Tauriel before he collapsed from exhaustion or something like that.

Back on his feet, Kili pondered which way to go. He had no idea where he was, or what the layout of the healing tents was, so taking a random guess he turned left, then right, then hearing voices in one of the tents to his right, turned left again. He continued in this manner, always turning away from noises when he heard them, and at one point he was sure he heard the voice of Gloin, complaining loudly about the treatment they were receiving from the elves, and had half a mind to eavesdrop because it was sure to get quite amusing, but he did not forget his purpose and moved swiftly on.

It was a while after Kili began to get cold that he stumbled across a small tent on the very outskirts of the camp, dark with no signs that anyone was inside it. Instinctively, he knew that this was the one. He gingerly pushed open the tent flap.

Tauriel sat cross-legged on the ground, her hair unusually messy, her bedroll neat as though it had not been slept in since being laid out. Her eyes were red but no signs of tears lined her face, showing that she had cried herself out long ago. She did not even notice Kili step inside.

"Tauriel," he said softly, coming up beside her and gently brushing his fingers through the ends of her hair.

She did not answer him, but stared ahead into some imaginary distance. Noticing a small stool in the corner, Kili pulled it up behind Tauriel and sat on it, then began to methodically separate her hair into strands and comb through it with his fingers until it fell smoothly into his lap. Once it was all untangled, he separated off a section and began a four-stranded braid. It was only once he reached the end and realised he had nothing to tie it off with that Tauriel finally spoke.

"I did not think you bothered with hair,"

"Not my own," admitted Kili, "braids just won't stay in. But when Fili wants his done neatly, he always asks me,"

"You fought Azog,"

"Mmm hmm," Kili left the end untied and began the next plait.

"You...you nearly died,"

"Not really. The stab wound missed any vital organs,"

"But what if it hadn't?"

"Then I wouldn't be here, plaiting your hair until you tell me all the things on your mind so that you can move on,"

Tauriel almost smiled. "There are many things on my mind, and I'm not sure if I want to tell them all,"

"We've got all night,"

"Maybe. Only if you tell me first,"

"Tell you what?"

"What's bothering you,"

"Lots of things,"

Tauriel raised her head and smiled at Kili softly. "We've got all night,"


	36. Chapter 36

_One more chapter after this guys! D: I can't believe it! Thank you all, you are such a great support and this story was never _ever_ planned to be this long so thank you for keeping me on a roll all this time!_

_In other exciting news, Rascalkat has suggested she will write a story coming off this one, based around Legolas when he meets Gimli, so keep an eye out for that some time after Easter :)_

_I will also (hopefully) be accepting requests for oneshots covering snippets of the future of this universe for anyone who wants to know more of what happens to everyone in my head (although right now your guess is as good as mine, so your imaginations are just as qualified)._

_This chapter was quite hard to write, as it's not easy trying to tie up ends. But this had to happen sometime, so I thought I might as well write it rather than leave it to your imaginations. I hope it's turned out ok._

_Last but not least, thank you to my lovely reviewers: **Syblime**, **jaymzNshed**, **Tardis of the Doctor **(sorry your name keeps being eaten up whenever I try to save this so apologies for the lack of formatting), **GregsMadHatter**, **tygrislily**, **fixusi**, **FoxmistXFeatherdark** and **Guest**. I cannot thank you enough, especially you really dedicated reviewers whose names my iPad now autocorrects even though it doesn't recognise them as words (I know, it's magic!). Enjoy the chapter :)_

* * *

><p>The first streaks of cold morning sunlight fell across Fili's face through the small crack at the top of the tent flap, and he blearily opened his eyes. He felt worn out and sick, and certainly more tired than he had been when he had fallen asleep. His attempt at rest had only brought on more nightmares, and it had been impossible to pull himself out of them once they had started. Only now could he think clearly and wipe from his mind all the images that his imagination had ruthlessly brought upon him. He looked to his right, and saw that Thorin was stirring. He looked to his left - and a wave of horror washed over him as all his nightmares seemed to come back to life. For a moment he was startled, but then he remembered that he had seen Kili only last night, and that he couldn't have gone far, and that he couldn't have died in the battle because there was his bedroll, unmade as if he had just climbed out of it. But why would Kili leave the tent in the middle of the night?<p>

The answer came to him immediately: Tauriel. If Kili had begun to worry about her while trying to fend off sleep - it must have started to drive him mad. Of course he would need to go and find her. The fact that he hadn't come back probably meant that he was still with her. But this posed a problem for Fili. It was all right Kili being able to get out of bed despite being ordered not to, but Fili could not move even if he wanted to. How was he supposed to find Kili and bring him back before Thorin started asking questions?

"KILI?"

Ah, too late.

"Fili, where is your brother?"

Fili turned his head to see Thorin on his feet, staring down at Kili's empty bedroll in shock.

"I'm sure he is fine, uncle," Fili reassured him.

"How do you know? Do you know where he is gone?" Thorin demanded with a hint of accusation.

"I...have an idea,"

"Well?"

"If you find Legolas, and tell him Kili is gone, he will find him," Fili evaded.

"What, is there something that elf knows that I must not?" Thorin's eyebrows met.

"No, he just...all right, I'll tell you. Kili will be with the elf Tauriel. You will know who she is if you overheard our conversation yesterday,"

"I do...Is she the one who came to me begging for your pardon?"

"She did do that, yes," said Fili cautiously, "she is also the one who saved Kili in Mirkwood, and I believe she put herself in great danger to save him in the battle as well,"

"So naturally Kili feels he ought to repay that debt with kindness..." muttered Thorin, and Fili smirked wistfully behind his back. He could tell his uncle was trying to convince himself that it was purely the repay of a debt that had inspired Kili to leave the tent in the middle of the night to visit an elf. Of course, he didn't know for certain that he was right about his brother's destination, but somehow he felt that he was correct. There was also the puzzle that Kili hadn't known where to find Tauriel...as if that would ever stop him.

"You should go and find Legolas, he will know where Tauriel's tent is," suggested Fili.

"I will not ask help from an elf!" Thorin exclaimed, then strode out of the tent.

Fili sighed. He had rather hoped that if his uncle could go to Legolas first, the Prince of Mirkwood would be able to give Kili and Tauriel some sort of warning. Apparently not. If only he could get up and warn them himself - no, not going to happen. Fili wished he was not in such a helpless state, completely dependent on other people.

Just then, the tent flap moved a little, and a round face framed with bright orange hair peeped cautiously in.

"Bombur!" Fili exclaimed, and the rotund dwarf grinned and with another quick glance around squeezed himself through the tent flap and was swiftly followed by Bofur and Bifur - the latter of whom was jabbering rapidly and excitedly.

"We're not strictly meant to be here..." explained Bofur with a wink, "but Bifur saw Thorin go out, and...well, we're not going to miss this chance to see ya. Where's Kili?"

"That's what Thorin wants to know," grinned Fili, finding Bofur's beaming smile highly infectious.

"Ah, I see. And you're left here because...?"

"I can't get up," Fili's smile dropped abruptly.

"Ah. Right. Heard you got a bit of a bashin' to save Thorin," Bofur said, "how're you feeling?"

"Not too bad, considering," Fili said lightly, deciding not to bother them with all his aches and pains - of which there were many.

"Good to hear," Bofur's grin was back, "an' how's Kili? He must be well if he's sneaking out o' bed like that,"

"Well, he's not really supposed to be out of bed," admitted Fili with a smirk, "but he's better off than me, anyway,"

"Ah, well, someone has to get the rough end of things," Bofur said consolingly, "you're better off than Azog, and that's a fact,"

"I suppose so," Fili chuckled, though he couldn't help but think of the nightmares. That was when he noticed that all three of his friends - actually no, just Bofur and Bombur - seemed to be more tired than usual. "How are you all? Kili said that no one got out unscathed," he asked.

In reply, Bofur pulled up his sleeve, showing off a thick bandage, Bombur pointed to his leg and Fili remembered that he had been limping when he came in, and Bifur turned his head to the side to reveal a part of his beard that had been cut short around a long red scab that stretched from ear to chin.

"We were the ones who got off most lightly," admitted Bombur, "apart from the Burglar, of course. He only got a bump on the head!"

"All the better, he's scarred enough for a hobbit as it is," Fili chuckled.

"I think he was scarred from the moment we told him there might be a shortage of food on this journey," said Bofur with a grin, "so why _did_ Kili sneak out of bed in the middle of the night?"

"He couldn't sleep," Fili evaded, feeling bad for giving Kili away to their uncle and not wanting to add any more names to that list.

"That's no reason to go wandering off," commented Bombur, "now I'd understand if he was hungry-"

"You'd understand anything if it was done in the name of food," Bofur rolled his eyes, "you're as bad as Bilbo. But tell me...does it have anything to do with that she-elf?"

Fili stared at Bofur uncomprehendingly. Since when had he known about Tauriel?

"Oh, come on, anyone can see that they're close," Bofur raised an eyebrow, "so does it?"

Fili clamped his mouth tightly shut. He would not betray his brother again.

"I'll take that as a yes," grinned Bofur, "come on, let's go tell the others,"

"Don't you dare!" Fili found his voice, and Bombur turned.

"They're going to find out anyway when Thorin starts shouting loud enough for the whole camp to hear. Better to find out from us first, and then they're prepared," he winked, then waddled out of the tent after his brother and his cousin.

Fili gave a long, exasperated yawn and groaned, wishing he could use telepathy. He was really glad he was not in Kili's shoes right now.

* * *

><p>Tauriel was awakened rather abruptly from her short and rather restless slumber when Kili's hand ceased to move through her hair. She had eventually fallen asleep about one hour before dawn with her head in his lap and his hand keeping an unfaltering rhythm across her head. It was that which had finally allowed her to rest peacefully: the knowledge that Kili was right beside her and that the battle was over and that nothing would be quite the same again but at least they could try to rebuild themselves after being part of such horror. Being able to voice her sorrow - even the bits that she couldn't put into words and had been reduced to conveying through looks alone - had helped more than she had believed possible, and hearing Kili's troubles had reminded her that she wasn't the only person in the world recovering. It had brought her back to herself again.<p>

The sudden change in her surroundings lifted Tauriel up out of her dreamless sleep like being pulled out of a river, and she opened her eyes with effort, well aware that she had got one hour of sleep at most, and Kili hadn't got any. She sensed her dwarf's tenseness before she saw the figure in the tent opening. Then with a jolt she understood. She sat up quickly, eyes wide, and stared into the angry face of Throrin Oakenshield. A glance at Kili's face, and she saw that he was scared. He knew his uncle. That meant that she should probably be scared too.

"Kili, what are you doing here?" Thorin's voice was quiet and threatening.

Kili did not answer, knowing it was futile. His uncle's eyes narrowed.

"When you said you were friends with the elves, I certainly did not expect...this,"

Kili's mouth remained clamped shut.

"Care to explain?"

"No,"

* * *

><p>Bofur had just got round to Oin and Gloin when he heard the distant yell.<p>

"That'll be Thorin now," he remarked casually.

* * *

><p>Fili was coming to regret his current predicament more and more as the minutes shuffled reluctantly by. If he wasn't at the scene to play peacekeeper and calm his uncle while backing up his brother, what might happen to Kili? Instead, he was as good as locked up with nothing but his own thoughts to keep him company, and helpless, completely helpless.<p>

If his position was reversed with his brother's, he considered, Kili probably would have tried to get out of bed by now.

A pale blond head poked around the tent flap, then frowned.

"There seems to be rather a commotion at the other side of the camp," said Legolas.

"That'll be Kili and Uncle," sighed Fili.

Legolas's eyebrows shot up. "I didn't know either of them were supposed to be out of bed?"

"They're not - at least I know Kili's not. But I'd be out of bed too if I could, I'm worried that Uncle will do something drastic,"

"Why? What has happened?"

"When I woke up, Kili was gone, and I think he went to see Tauriel. Judging by the commotion you describe, Uncle has found them together. I would have gone and warned them, and I tried to get him to find you first so that you could, but it didn't work,"

Legolas's eyes widened in panic. "Right, I'd better go and sort it out. Are you sure you'll be all right here alone? I'll be back once it's over,"

"Thanks, I'd much rather you were there sorting it out since I can't be," Fili smiled gratefully, "do whatever you have to, and don't let Uncle get his hands anywhere near a weapon,"

Legolas chucked nervously. "No, I certainly won't,"

* * *

><p>As he sprinted through the rows of tents, Legolas slightly regretted that Fili couldn't be doing this job - he would be a much better person for it, after all. But nothing could be done about that now, and he was stuck with this job. He knew the way to Tauriel's tent, but he didn't need to worry about that because he could have found his way just from the crescendo of shouting coming from that area. When he drew near, he found a small crowd already gathered, however the main interest seemed to be happening inside the tent.<p>

Before he made his way through the people, Legolas paused for a moment and considered. It had been difficult for him, seeing Tauriel grow so fond of a dwarf, not least of all because at one point, he had thought himself to be in love with her. Now he understood that those feelings had just been an accumulation of the sort of love that exists between siblings: the need to watch over and protect, and the innate understanding of her every move. The only reason he hadn't realised that before was the lack of blood relation between them.

But seeing Tauriel as a sister did not make it any easier to see her fall in love. It was like he was handing her over, like he was no longer the one supposed to keep track of her from a distance, no longer the one allowed to smile simply because she was happy, or frown simply because she was sad. Her successes were no longer his to be proud of, and her sorrow was no longer his to share. Another had filled that place, and a dwarf no less. The consequences of mortal love were well known to all, and if this was the path Tauriel chose, then Legolas did not know how he would bear to see her burn bright and then fade so fast, like a candle snuffed out the moment it was lit - the fate of all mortals. But this was her choice, and Legolas would support it whatever the consequences. Kili was a worthy dwarf.

Raising his voice, Legolas pushed his way towards the tent flap, and the last few elves stepped aside to make way for him (though he did not get that courtesy from the number of Iron Hills dwarves among them) then he stopped before cautiously pulling aside the canvas enough to duck through the doorway. Before he entered, he turned and called an order for the small crowd to disperse, and most of them did so, though it was reluctantly.

Thorin was swearing in Khuzdûl now. Kili was on his feet facing him, and Tauriel was kneeling on the floor by a small wooden stool looking stricken. When she saw Legolas enter, her eyes seemed to beg for help. He acknowledged it with a small smile, and that seemed to give her a little comfort. But he was really too late to help anything, as the argument seemed to have reached it's peak.

"Uncle, please listen to me! You said you would try harder with our alliance, I thought you had got over your resentment of elves,"

"And according to you that means shows of intimacy? You bring disgrace to our line!"

"I was only braiding her hair!"

"Exactly! You know what that means, even if the elf does not!"

"She has a name!"

"She is an elf, and that is all that matters!"

"Please Uncle, just hear me out!"

"No, this ends here," announced Thorin curtly, "Kili you will come with me right this instant, and do not let me see you within a dozen feet of that elf ever again! Your mother will be hearing of this as soon as I can send a raven, mark my words,"

Kili looked about to protest, but then something seemed to break inside him and he slumped, eyes downcast. "Yes uncle," he said sullenly, casting a rueful glance back at Tauriel before trailing out of the tent after Thorin. But Legolas, with his sharp Elven hearing, distinctly heard him mutter as he went past, "I won't let you see me,"

Once they were gone, Legolas knelt down beside Tauriel, who was still speechless.

"What was that all about?" he breathed.

"I only...nothing...Kili came and..." Tauriel took a deep breath, "apparently in dwarven culture, braiding another's hair is a show of love. They only let the ones most dear to them braid their hair. And..." she trailed off, her hand automatically moving to finger one of many small plaits that adorned her head, open ended and fraying at the bottom but exquisitely neat at the top. "He didn't tell me. He did most of this while I was asleep,"

"Perhaps he was worried that it would not hold as much meaning for you," suggested Legolas gently.

Tauriel smiled wistfully. "Perhaps. I wish he could have told me though. He didn't need to worry..." she paused thoughtfully, then sighed. "We had no warning of his uncle coming,"

"Fili wanted to warn you, but he's not out of bed yet. Kili shouldn't be either, really,"

"He told me," Tauriel smirked lightly, "I couldn't get him to lie down, though," her face fell, "he's been having nightmares, same as me. He says Fili's been getting them too. He flat out refused to even try to sleep, even though he hasn't got a wink since the medicine wore off,"

Legolas bowed his head regretfully. "I don't think they'll ever really go away. I hear father muttering in his sleep sometimes, and he says names I've never heard of - that I've never heard him speak of. I think it's too painful for him,"

"It...it was better with Kili," admitted Tauriel quietly, resigning herself to telling Legolas everything. If it was all coming out now, then it was nice to know she could confide in her closest friend.

Legolas simply nodded, inviting her to continue.

"I got about an hour of sleep, without dreams of any kind," she looked sadly into the middle distance, "I suppose that's never going to happen again, now,"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Legolas's lips twitched upwards slightly, "this is _Kili_ we're talking about - not to mention yourself,"

Tauriel turned to face him, and a smile started to grow on her face. "You know, you do have a point,"

Legolas grinned outright now. "I think Kili would defy Mahal himself if he wanted something badly enough,"

Tauriel raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that just what he's doing?"

* * *

><p>Later that day, when Kili was once again confined to his bedroll - partly due to Thorin's threats of setting Dis on him as soon as she arrived from the Blue Mountains, and partly due to the growing ache in his side - Thorin set out to make a request from Dain, who also had not escaped the battle unharmed but was giving the healers significantly less trouble than the King and Princes of Erebor on the other side of the camp. The King Under the Mountain, however, was to be disappointed, as the ruler of the Iron Hills flatly refused to post guards outside Thorin's tent at night. Thorin left in a bad temper.<p>

It did not help that when he returned to the tent, he found the entire company inside, laughing with Fili and Kili despite the assortment of injuries they all sported. Even Ori had been persuaded out of bed, and sat with his notebook _closed_ on his lap - which was unusual - laughing just as loudly as his more errant brother - which was even more unusual. Thorin wondered what change the battle had brought about in Ori, and hoped that the dark bags under his eyes (which meant he had found no sleep for several nights) would disappear as the youngest Ri brother learned how to endure the nightmares and could sleep once more.

There was only endurance. Never victory.

Such a contrast to how they all laughed now, and how they welcomed him even though most of them could sense his bad temper and his irritation at finding a crowd when he wanted peace and quiet. After a short internal struggle, he sank down into the circle next to Fili and listened quietly to the rolling conversation, and it almost felt like they were on the quest again, sitting round the fire late at night before sleep. But underneath it all, Thorin could sense a tone of grief, and knew that none of the company would ever be the same again. People could not simply go back to how they were. In a way, Thorin felt guilty for this - it had been his quest after all. Fili and Kili especially did not laugh so easily, did not share mischievous grins when they thought he wasn't looking...perhaps he had been a bit too harsh on Kili earlier.

No. He had been braiding an Elf's hair, for Mahal's sake! He should know better than that - what had he been thinking? It was a disgrace!

All the same, Thorin felt guilty. But he also felt an overwhelming sense of pride for his nephews, who had overcome so much since they left the only home they had ever known, and had become much more than just lads from Ered Luin: they had become princes. Thorin couldn't help but be tremendously proud of them. He would send a raven to Dis on the morrow, provided he could find one able to fly the long distance or pass the message as a relay to the Blue mountains. She would have the task of leading the rest of the dwarves in Ered Luin all the way east.

It never crossed Thorin's mind that he had long ago blanked out to the conversation around him. It had happened often on the quest, but back then he had been thinking about Erebor. All he thought about now was the shining future. He looked at his nephews, and suddenly in his mind's eye he could see them clearly, dressed in royal attire, circlets of mithril on their brows like true princes. He closed his eyes, and he was in a rebuilt Erebor, the intricately carven columns of stone and the arched ceilings of the great halls all seeming to bow to the two radiant figures that stood foremost in Thorin's mind. But it wasn't the clothes, or the jewels, or even Fili's hair that was the most radiant. It was their smiles - robbed of childhood innocence, and wiser than they should be at their age, but as true as mithril.


	37. Chapter 37

_I can't believe this is over! I love you guys, every single one of my readers, so this chapter there will be no list of reviewers, just one big, large, great, huge, massive, enormous, immense, colossal, gigantic, vast, spacious, voluminous, burly, hulking, bulky, fat, gross, important, significant, prominent, influential, notable, famous, principal, main, generous, magnanimous, unselfish, altruistic, gracious, benevolent, arrogant, boastful, pompous, conceited, inflated, pretentious (yes, all the thesaurus definitions for 'big')_

**THANK YOU**

_insert !x100+:D_

_put that into a calculator and you have the level of my feels right now._

_I hope you all enjoy the very last chapter._

* * *

><p>One week later, the camp was ready to move to Erebor. It had taken some persuasion from Fili and Kili - not to mention Dain and Gandalf - to persuade Thorin to allow the elves into the newly freed kingdom, but Kili had to admit, it was easier than he had expected. In fact, it was only when he had dropped out of the conversation that Thorin had finally relented, and Kili had a sneaking suspicion that his presence had only reminded his uncle of the matter over Tauriel.<p>

He had not spent nearly as much time as he would have liked with her recently, though it was better than nothing, which was what Thorin would have enforced if he could. Two nights after Thorin's rant, when Kili was sure his uncle was asleep, he had slipped out of the tent and made his way silently to where he remembered Tauriel's tent to be, and found her in the light of a low candle, making arrows. A large pile was accumulating behind her. She stopped when he entered, and they talked for a few hours, before Kili finally got his first sleep for days, head lolling on Tauriel's lap. She had woken him one hour before dawn so that he could get back to his tent, but it hadn't been until Fili pointed it out in the morning that Kili found a single, simple braid in his hair, just behind his left ear, tied off with a piece of coarse twine. He didn't take it out, and Thorin didn't notice, but Kili saw his brother grinning at it widely several times when he thought he wasn't looking. He had returned to Tauriel's tent every night after that, and they found that by alternating the nights that one slept while the other kept watch, both elf and dwarf got enough rest to keep going.

The move up to the mountain was no small feat, by any standards. Many patients were still bedridden, and some - including Gildor - still waged the war between life and death. Carts and wagons came up from the Long Lake for this purpose, as well as ponies for the dwarves who would not be able to walk the whole way but could certainly ride. Thorin was among these, though he insisted that he wasn't, and both Fili and Kili were allocated places on a cart, though Kili had a feeling that if it hadn't been for his status as Prince he would have been allowed to ride a pony instead. Nevertheless, he did not complain, since this arrangement meant that he could ride the whole way next to Fili, who was by now well enough to sit up properly and could walk with Kili's help.

The packing started in the early morning of the day before the departure, and by evening everything but the bare essentials was loaded onto carts and wagons, the rest left to be packed up at sunrise. The following morning, there was no order to things as elves, men, dwarves, one hobbit and one wizard rushed around gathering the last minute items from the rapidly disappearing camp and loading them into bags, packs and horses. Carts carrying the injured were the first to lead the long procession, and Thorin led the entire convoy next to Dain, each on a stout and sturdy pony. Thranduil, Bard and Gandalf stayed behind to see off the larger wagons carrying supplies and materials from the campsite, planning to catch up later on their faster horses.

Fili and Kili found themselves wedged tightly in a corner of a wagon near the front of the convoy, and it was about midday that Kili leaned over the side to see none other than Beorn striding alongside them in his bear form, his great head nodding as he paced metronomically. They had not seen him in all the time since the great battle - the Battle of Five Armies, as everyone was calling it now. Kili nudged his brother gently, minding his ribs, and pointed. Fili's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the great black bear.

"We've got to say something!" Fili whispered, "to thank him,"

"What do you say to a bear?" asked Kili sceptically.

"...I don't know, just, thank you for killing Azog and all those orcs, or something?"

"If he wanted to talk, he wouldn't be in a bear form," Kili pointed out.

"Fine, whatever," Fili sank back down and let the matter drop. To be honest, Beorn didn't seem the kind to appreciate gratitude.

* * *

><p>When they arrived in Erebor, they did not remain in the hall that Smaug had used for his bedchamber but turned off to the side, down a straight and perfectly smooth passageway into another great hall, only this one was void of treasure, ornaments, furniture, or even metalwork of any kind. It had been stripped completely bare by the dragon. Off to the side, it was clear that some of Dain's men, sent up to the mountain shortly after the battle, had been hard at work clearing rubble and debris from the hallways leading away to chambers, closets and staircases. Several clear passages already led off into the mountain.<p>

Less than five hours after the arrival of the first carts, the massive room was divided into rough thirds and sectioned off within those thirds by the tents that arose here and there as people protected their privacy. A large infirmary was set up in one corner for those patients still requiring constant medical attention, and a small healer's tent was erected next to it as a drop-in clinic. Some people - namely, a large group of Dain's dwarves - decided that tents would not be needed in the halls of their kin and instead propped up a long rope to declare their territory, laying their bedrolls and provisions inside and keeping one person on watch at all times to make sure no one plundered it.

Nori was all for doing the same with the company - "just like old times" - but Dori quickly subdued that notion in spite of Ori's support for the opposing side. Nevertheless, the tents of the company seemed to naturally congregate in a circle with the Durin tent at the head, and Bombur took it upon himself to set up a ring of stones in the middle with his cooking pot over the top so that they could all have meals together like on the quest. The company's circle soon became known as sacred territory, the fame of the quest and the importance not lost on a single soul beneath the mountain.

Bilbo, Gandalf and Beorn, the 'outcasts', were treated with no less reverence, however each reacted differently. Beorn chose to sleep in a different chamber entirely and kept himself away from attention of any kind, Gandalf did not appear to sleep at all and no one knew where he went half the time, and Bilbo was accepted warmly into the tent of Bifur, Bofur and Bombur, the biggest tent around the company's circle with plenty of room for all four occupants. As the days plodded by and Erebor began to be restored by the hard work of all those fit enough to labour, the evenings around the indoor campfire became a welcome constant for all of them.

Six days after the move, Legolas came to Fili and Kili with welcome news. Unfortunately, the Elven part of the camp was not at all near to the company's circle, but while Fili preferred not to - and could not - move around too much, nothing could stop Thranduil's son from striding confidently across the gigantic hallway and sending tidal waves of disapproval and muttering through the camp of Dain's dwarves with his pointy ears. He found it amusing how much the Iron Hills folk underestimated the capabilities of (or did not care about the proximity of) said ears and did not bother to hush their voices at all as they provided a constant drone of insults behind his back. Not caring in the slightest, Legolas had on occasion stopped to suggest an improvement or a correction to some of their snide comments, leaving the flabbergasted dwarves with rather comical expressions on their faces.

As he neared his destination, Legolas rounded a tent to come face to face with the two people he had come searching for. He grinned as he saw them, and they grinned back, despite not knowing yet the good news he had come to deliver. He noticed that Fili was on his feet without support - a great improvement which lightened Legolas's heart further. Not wanting to waste time, he got to the point.

"Gildor is awake,"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" exclaimed Kili, jubilation lighting up his features.

"Hey, not too fast," laughed Fili as his brother leapt forwards between the tents. He was limping quite noticeably, but he was walking, which was what counted. With a sheepish grin, not in the slightest dampened, Kili slowed down to allow Fili to catch up, and the three wound their way through the camp towards Oin's healing area.

When they got there, they were not at all surprised to find Tauriel greeting them and showing them towards the most crowded bedside, where it looked like the entire guard was congregated. She had offered her services to Oin - who had unofficially taken charge of the infirmary - the day they had arrived in Erebor, and she had been kept on a tireless work schedule ever since, with barely an hour to spend some (forbidden) time with Kili. The sheer amount of work had relaxed in the last couple of days, however, as the beds slowly cleared either with tears of happiness and relief and the laughter of joyous family members, or with tears of sorrow and a black shroud. Thankfully, the former was far more frequent than the latter, and it was an instance of the former that now took place around Gildor's bed - and in the middle of it, an overjoyed and completely speechless Golradir.

Striding calmly forward, Tauriel ordered the guard to keep down the racket and not to crowd Gildor's bed. They obeyed immediately, and she winced, remembering the choice she had been offered only that morning. She still hadn't made up her mind yet, but her king was giving her time to decide. She needed to speak to someone about it - and 'someone' these days was becoming a synonym for Kili.

She touched his arm gently as the others passed to join the crowd around the member of the guard, and he turned inquisitively, following her off to the side.

"You know, you should really ask for more breaks," he commented, noticing the tiredness in Tauriel's face. In this setup of camp, it was harder for them to sneak away at night and neither had been getting quite enough rest.

"I'm managing," Tauriel smiled, "I'm needed here, and I can't be selfish,"

"You're the most unselfish person I ever met, Tauriel," Kili laughed, "but really, don't tire yourself out too much, all right?"

"Since when did you start giving me advice on wellbeing?" Tauriel raised an eyebrow with a smirk, but then she sank back down and sighed. "I am selfish. Otherwise I wouldn't be faced with this decision - I would have chosen the right option straight away,"

Kili's brows constricted. "What decision?"

"My King has offered me my old post back, as captain of the Palace Guard," Tauriel said, with a note of resentment in her voice, "it's ridiculous not to take it, and neither Amras nor Nienna are ready for the responsibility yet. Not after all they've lost..."

"You lost him too," Kili pointed out softly.

Tauriel looked up gratefully at him, and nodded with a small smile. "You're right, but still I would not press the burden upon them, as they have not carried it before and I have. Much has changed recently, and is still changing. It would be like throwing them into a fast flowing river before teaching them to swim in the shallows,"

Kili nodded in understanding, but still with a slight frown on his face. "So you would take back your old post to give them that small piece of consistency to keep them afloat,"

"Yes," Tauriel smiled at his ability to understand her reasonings, even without ever having made such a decision himself.

"And you would like to go back," Kili observed.

"I would. I have missed it even in the short time of being away from it," admitted Tauriel.

Kili understood - protecting her home was what Tauriel lived for, despite her occasional wish to see more of the world. And he guessed that in this new alliance, the horizon had just widened exponentially for the elves of Mirkwood.

"So what is holding you back?" he asked.

In reply, Tauriel met his eyes, and something jolted in Kili's chest as a thousand possibilities raced through his mind - and a thousand reasons why they could not be clashed against them like an opposing army. Oh how he wished... But he could not take Tauriel's life away from her. This was what she wanted, and if he was the sacrifice she had to make, he would make it as easy for her as he could. She had said this was the selfish option. He had to agree - the guard needed her much more than he did, or at least, all of their needs combined outweighed his own.

His eyes flickered over to the group of elves, joined by his brother. It struck him how out of place Fili looked among all those tall heads, and yet how out of place all the elves looked in contrast to the dwarven stonework behind them. They may be friends, but they clearly belonged in different places. Kili's heart gave an uncomfortable squirm.

"I think you should say yes," he answered, turning his gaze back to Tauriel's anxious face, his voice not coming out as confidently as he had hoped.

"Are...are you sure?" Tauriel's voice was tinged with hope and regret.

Kili nodded firmly. "Yes, you should do it. It's not fair that I take you away from your life. I have my home now, and you have yours, and however much we might wish it, we don't belong in each other's. And..." he broke off, a lump coming to his throat. It was tearing him apart to say this, but he knew he couldn't do anything else. He couldn't meet Tauriel's eyes any more, but he swallowed the lump and continued. "And Uncle would never approve, and I doubt anyone else would either - well, Fili doesn't mind -"

"Legolas doesn't mind," said Tauriel quietly, "although he's not entirely happy about it,"

"And so he shouldn't be," Kili agreed sadly, "my life will be, what, two hundred years more at most? More likely I'll do something stupid and get killed before then anyway, and after that, what do you do? Spend eternity mourning me?"

"Fade," Tauriel said quietly, so quietly that Kili almost didn't hear it.

"What?"

"Fade. When elves are faced with too much grief, such as the loss of a loved one, they fade away and die," her voice dropped, "Golradir nearly faded when it looked like Gildor would not make it,"

Kili looked horrified. "So if you bound yourself to me, you would have to sacrifice your immortality?"

"It is something that, given kinder circumstances, I would do without hesitation," Tauriel replied genuinely.

Kili shook his head frantically. "No, no, I would never let you do that. You can't cut your life short just for the sake of one dwarf,"

"He's not just any dwarf,"

Kili stared into Tauriel's eyes, and she looked back with such intensity that Kili found he could not tear his eyes away. Then, finally, Tauriel dropped her gaze.

"It could not have worked anyway," she said quietly, her face sad.

"We would have made it," said Kili softly.

Tauriel smiled. "I know. We could still. But you have just got your home back, and it would be cruel to force you out of it again,"

"And you have an opportunity to go back to doing what you love, and I would not take it from you,"

There was silence for a moment. They both knew that the decision was made - had been made from the start. The alternative came at too high a cost.

"We mustn't give up," Tauriel broke the silence, "I know that I cannot just let you go,"

"But your immorta-"

"To Mordor with immortality, I'd rather spend a short life with you than a long life without," Tauriel declared, "we cannot give up all hope, or I might as well just fade now. Once our lives have got back to some semblance of order, one of us might think of a way to make it work,"

Kili couldn't keep the grin from his face. "You're right, it's rather hard to imagine what things are going to be like in, say, a year's time. It would be better to let all the other problems be dealt with before creating one ourselves,"

Tauriel nodded. "Until one of us sees a way, it would be better to move on with our lives,"

"I'll come and visit often," Kili promised, "Uncle won't stop me,"

"I'm staying here until the spring anyway," Tauriel smiled, "we have plenty of time before then,"

"As long as these healers don't work you to death," laughed Kili, "I'm telling Oin he needs to give you more breaks whether you like it or not,"

Tauriel laughed, her voice ringing out like bells to Kili's ears, and he felt a pang in his heart. He wished so badly that things could be different, but he was a dwarf and she was an elf and they were never supposed to be together. They had already broken the age long boundaries just by being friends. And though his heart ached to know it, they had made the right choice to wait. But who knew, perhaps one day they could achieve the impossible?

* * *

><p>"...Amras?" Fili began hesitantly. It was pure luck that he had found himself standing beside this elf, but he wasn't going to miss the opportunity.<p>

Amras turned, looking slightly surprised to see Fili right next to him, and even more so to hear him addressing him personally. "Yes?"

"I just wanted to say...thank you, for what you did on the battlefield. I would not have made it otherwise," Fili knew it came from the bottom of his heart. Despite his initial differences with Amras, this elf had saved his life along with Lenwë. There was no denying that fact.

Amras looked a little taken aback at first, but then smiled. "No, don't thank me. There was nothing else I could have done,"

"Yes there was," argued Fili, "you could have easily ignored me and Kili, or assumed that we were dead,"

The flinch that passed over Amras's face told Fili that indeed, at first, the elf had thought just that. He continued as if unfazed.

"I am forever in your debt. If there is anything you or your kin need, do not hesitate to ask me or my brother - although I wouldn't recommend the same for my uncle," he grinned a little.

Amras smiled. "I never knew that dwarves were so gracious in their manners," he remarked.

Fili raised an eyebrow. "You clearly haven't been paying much attention for the last few weeks then,"

"It is true, I have had my eyes firmly closed," admitted Amras, "and for that I am sorry. I have opened them now, and though I am surely not worthy of your debt, I do ask for your forgiveness,"

"And it is granted," Fili waved a hand dismissively, "don't worry about it. Anything that happened before the battle, forget about it. I am truly and utterly at your service,"

"Don't be," implored Amras, "I don't deserve it. I am just glad that Lenwë and I were not too late. I am ashamed that it took me so long to see past old prejudices and my own stubbornness,"

Fili laughed out loud upon hearing that. "And you elves accuse us dwarves of being stubborn! If it makes you feel any better, that's just what Uncle Thorin is trying to do at the moment. You wouldn't believe the fuss he is making about all this close proximity to other races,"

Amras grinned slightly nervously at the mention of Fili's uncle, and Fili suddenly had a thought. He knew it was a long shot, but if there was a chance of solving the mystery Thorin had been intent on finding out ever since the battle, then it was worth it.

"Amras, you saw Thorin fighting Azog, didn't you?" he questioned slowly.

"I did," nodded the elf with a puzzled frown.

"Then...did you see who fired the arrow that hit Azog's shoulder and saved Uncle's life?"

Amras's eyes widened. "It saved Thorin's life?"

Fili nodded. "Did you see who fired it?"

"I was there - it was Lenwë," said Amras, turning away and looking stricken, "oh, I am so stupid, what was I thinking? Fili, you must forgive me for all the mistakes I have made, but I will understand if you don't,"

"Amras, what's wrong? Lenwë saved my uncle,"

"Yes, and I told him not to fire the arrow, but he did anyway. If he had listened to me, that would never have happened and Thorin would be dead," Amras's face was deeply troubled.

"No, listen Amras," said Fili sternly, "that didn't happen, so don't blame yourself for what might have been. It was a battle; we all make mistakes in battle. I made a grave one, letting Kili out of my sight, and it was only by a combination of sheer luck and elves that it didn't end very badly. As it is, we are all here now, so let us learn from our mistakes but do not dwell on them,"

Amras bowed his head in deep thought, but then his eyes lifted and he looked through his eyebrows at Fili with an impish grin. "You dwarves are certainly wiser than the tales make out. Are you all this good at giving advice?"

Fili laughed, turning slightly pink at the compliment. "Um, well, there are certainly some very wise dwarves who I know, but there are also some who are...not so..."

With a shrug and a smile, Amras replied, "You're one of the wise ones, then. I guess I should have realised before that the whole dwarvish race couldn't all be the same,"

"It's a common misconception among other races," Fili granted, "but tell me, are all the Noldor wiser than the Sindar? And are all Silvan elves foolish and naïve?"

Amras bristled. "Absolutely not! It may hold some element of truth for the wisest among us, for example the Lady Galadriel, but for the rest? No."

"Then you are saying not to judge a realm by it's ruler?" Fili smirked, having proved his point well.

"To an extent, yes," agreed Amras, "a good king will most likely have a prosperous people, but apart from that, there is not much else possible to discern,"

Fili nodded, in total agreement. He was glad of the conversation, for if Amras had come around so well then there couldn't be much ill will left among the elves at all. Now what remained was to convince a mountain of dwarves that the pointy-eared forest-dwellers who had betrayed them years ago were now their friends. Oh well, at least he could do it in stages, as the groups arrived from various corners of the world. And he wouldn't be doing it alone; Kili would help. But for now he had to find Lenwë and repeat his thanks, and Thorin's, for saving all of their lives - twice, it seemed: once with the arrow and again in fetching the Elvenking. He was glad to have found the one responsible for the arrow, since he had a feeling it would have continued to nag at his uncle for as long as it took to solve the mystery. That was one problem down. There were bound to be at least two more cropping up as soon as he got back to the tent, as usual. But he would deal with them as they came. There was a lot of work to do in rebuilding a kingdom.

* * *

><p>One week later, Tauriel, Legolas, Kili and Fili all went out of the mountain on what was labelled as a hunting expedition but was really just some downtime between all the formal duties being shoved their way by various leaders. Legolas, left in charge of the elves when his father returned to Mirkwood, had spent the morning negotiating with Bard over the materials to start rebuilding Dale, and both Fili and Kili had been required to attend a meeting beside their uncle with Dain and his counsellors. When they finally left the recently cleared council chamber, neither of them had any more idea of what the meeting had been about than when they had entered, and to their amusement Thorin himself had joked about it being a waste of time; evidently the fast progress with the clearing effort was putting him in a good mood more and more often. Tauriel, of course, had been kept busy by Oin in the infirmary, and it was only by Kili's incessant nagging that the old apothecary gave her the afternoon off.<p>

Out on the snowy mountainside, the four of them were at first sceptical of catching anything at all, since the place was so barren and desolate, however at the sight of the many ravens flying about the mountain they took heart and made their way along the southern spur to Ravenhill as briskly as Fili could go - his injuries by now were almost faded, but they still rendered him the slowest of the four. The ravens, of course, were not the targets for their arrows, but they felt that following any sign of life was the best way to find something they could shoot.

The first rabbit that stumbled across their path, however, was to live another day: Kili and Tauriel were lagging behind, laughing about something or other unknown to Fili and Legolas, and out of the two at the front, only one was actually carrying a bow. Fili had come along partly for the fresh air, and partly for the fun of the snow, something he and Kili had never quite grown out of loving. And so it was that when Kili finally looked around for his brother, he saw an abandoned bow in the snow by his feet and the crown princes of two kingdoms rolling down the hill in the most un-princely snowball fight ever witnessed in all of Arda. He wasted no time in joining in - and that was when Tauriel managed to shoot the rabbit.

Rolling her eyes, the only female of the group strung her catch to her belt and hopped lightly down the steep mountainside in a way that only an elf could, feet barely touching the snow. About half way down, she found Kili standing by a dark rock protruding from the otherwise faultless white blanket while his brother and the Elven prince continued their plight downwards. Tauriel came to a stop beside him.

"What is it?"

In answer, Kili crouched down and brushed the snow off the rock. On it were several scratches that looked as if they had been made by arrows.

"This is where we were at the start of the battle," he said, "I'm sure of it,"

"There are lots of other rocks around," Tauriel pointed out a little unsurely.

"I know, but I just have a feeling it's this one. I recognise the shape of it," replied Kili, bending down further to inspect it, his back to Tauriel. She watched in interest, but she couldn't tell what the dwarf was doing - until a moment later, when he spun round and sent a snowball neatly into her face, a wide grin on his.

"Why...you...!" she spluttered, shaking the snow out of her hair indignantly. Precisely three seconds later, Kili's ear was hit by a deadly accurate and very cold snowball from the side, and the battle was on.

When Legolas and Fili paused for breath, they didn't get long to rest before two figures from above came barrelling into them, covered in snow and throwing more snowballs as they went. As they reached the bottom of the valley, where they no longer had to keep rolling downhill, it quickly turned into an elves versus dwarves fight, which was fairly evenly matched: while the elves had two archers on their side and the dwarves only had one (a fact that Kili was quick to teasingly complain about, earning him a rather accurate snowball from his teammate), the elves also were larger targets due to being taller, and found it harder to duck completely under large rocks.

When the sun started to disappear over the horizon, they finally called the battle to a halt, all red faced, warm and laughing, despite the bitter cold of the air around them. They made their way back up the side of the spur, picking up their belongings as they went, and Tauriel was congratulated for the one piece of meat any of them had been able to catch that afternoon. They walked in relative silence, most of their energy taken by the snowball fight, and as the sun dipped below the horizon they had eyes only for the beauty of the snow in the orange evening light.

The dwarves looked up at the mountain that was now their home, and thought how lucky they were to have it back, and how worth it everything was, because they finally had somewhere to belong. The elves looked west to Mirkwood, a mere shadow on the horizon, and wondered whether the journey could be done in less than a day if ridden alone. All of them realised what all this had cost; the battlefield below them was all too visible, though it was long cleared of bodies and blanketed in snow. And all of them knew it would be a long time before the mountain recovered from this memory, but they would make new memories to bury the old, painful ones, and in the spring the desolation of the dragon would spring up with new life and new growth, making the land between Erebor and Mirkwood green once more. Roads would be built, and with them would be built friendship. Trees would be planted, and with them would grow prosperity. Birds would sing, and with them would be the voices of elves, dwarves and men, singing songs of peace and happiness to the accompaniment of joyous laughter. Buds would open to reveal bright flowers, and with them would open the doors to a brilliant future.

* * *

><p><em>And this is where, according to tradition and long established precedents, I would write the words "<em>The End_", however that would be a lie. There is no end. There is never any end. There is only when a story passes from one person's imagination into another's. Thank you, J.R.R. Tolkien. Now my wonderful readers, you may imagine the rest._


	38. Announcement!

Hello! Bet you never thought you'd see me again!

How long has it been? I finished this on the 15th of April...I'd be surprised if you even remember me. Hi, Booksnake here, been slithering in the shadows for seven months and now I'm back...

Anyway, I'm here to make an ANNOUNCEMENT!

...THERE IS A SEQUEL!

I have been writing it for months, but since I have a slight inability to...um...plan, and since the plot of my next fic looked a lot more complicated than this one, I decided to get most of the writing over with before I posted. It's a good job I did, because it got very confusing and I ended up changing a lot of stuff early on to fit with where I wanted it to eventually lead.

Which, of course, involves me being evil to our favourite dwarves ;P mwahahahaa!

So if you're reading this, pretty please hop over to "When Gold Bites Back" and feel free to skip the introductory author's note from me because I'm assuming you remember this story well enough to understand what's going on. It's a bit slow to begin with because there is so much scene-setting to do but I'm hopefully going to update often enough that it's not too long before the action starts :)

I just want to also add that you are still allowed your own headcanon of what happens after the last chapter. I just couldn't resist spending a little more time with our favourite characters :D

Love, Booksnake xxx


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